One Step Forward Two Steps Back
by Ryanfan14
Summary: After "Wolfe in sheep's clothing" Ryan moves to Chicago and gets a new job or rather he gets his old job back, but being a Special Unit 2 detctive isn't as easy as he'd thought it's be. Especialy when the Werewolves decide to put their two cents in.
1. Chapter 1

* Disclaimer I don't own the CSI or Special Unit 2 characters I do own the plot and the original characters though.

_Just for clarification this not part of my Leo series (if you have no idea what I'm talking about then you don't need to know this do you?) If this first part confuses you just hang on all will be explained, and how this has anything to do with CSI_

If you paid attention in the lobby of the apartment building at 144 Jamesburg, which most people avoided doing because the area was renowned for its junkies and drug dealers, you'd notice a young man standing propped against the wall in one of its more subdued corners. He was just standing there watching and waiting like he'd been doing for the past 6 hours, since sunrise. He was beginning to think that what he was waiting for wasn't going to happen. Trust Karl to bring him faulty information. If he screwed up his first solo case because of that little midget! A young mother exited the elevator that led to the rest of the building her 4-year-old daughter in her arms. Unlike most people she did pay attention, and she did notice the young man. His bright green eyes unnerved her as tracked her and her daughter across the room. She took in his messy brown hair, which he'd forgotten to put gel in this morning in his hurried rush to leave his apartment. He was wearing a tan leather jacket over a black T-shirt with a pair of old faded blue jeans. He noticed her stare and gave her a good natured smile, moving his jacket letting her see the badge clipped to his belt. She relaxed and smiled back, feeling much safer. Just then a big man with short black hair snatched her daughter out of her arms from behind her. The man took off, sprinting toward the main doors to make his get away. The detective smiled; maybe his information wasn't bad after all. He took off in pursuit. He pulled out his gun, but he only had one shot and he didn't want to waste it, besides he might hit the kid.

"Special unit 2!" he yelled but his shout was lost among the other screams

"Annabel!" shrieked the woman

He chased the man out onto the street as the lobby behind him erupted into chaos and confusion as the young woman collapsed sobbing onto the floor.

"Special unit 2 stop!" he yelled again weaving his way through the crowd. He reached into his jacket pocket with one hand holding his gun with the other. His fingers curled around the cylindrical object, his thumb hovering above the button that would activate the device.

"Mama," screamed the child, pounding her tiny fists against her kidnapper's back.

Don't worry Annabel," he yelled remembering what her mother had called the child "I'm coming!"

The detective was sprinting at top speed but he still wasn't gaining any ground, but he wasn't losing any either. Damn it, he was starting to flag and if he couldn't catch up to this guy now, it made him shutter just to think about what would happen to poor little Annabel, "but that wasn't going to happen," he thought fiercely. Ignoring the stitch in his side he tried to make himself run even faster instead of slowing down, but what he wants to do and what is physically possible is two totally different things, he must have chased this guy and Annabel at least three blocks by now. His finger twitched on the button on his Howler if only this guy would get off the main road so he could make his move. Just then he finally caught a break or rather little Annabel did he wouldn't be the one to pay the price. The man turned down a narrow ally, a narrow empty ally. The detective followed him. It was time to make his move. He swallowed nervously; a million and one ways things could go wrong flickered through his head. "No," he thought shaking his head to rid himself of the waves of self doubt that were distracting him from what he must do. He stopped and planted his feet shoulder width apart for balance, and slammed the button on the Howler down, hard. The device let out a piercing shriek causing him to cringe. He was just grateful that most of the ruckus the device was making was at a higher pitch than he could hear, but it was well within the hearing range of the man who had taken Annabel. The man dropped the child and turned snarling to face the detective. The detective took his hand out of his pocket knowing that the device wouldn't de-activate until he pressed the button again. He braced himself, holding his gun with both hands pointing it directly at the black haired man. "Here we go," he thought. The man's eyes flashed yellow and he bared his teeth at the detective revealing a mouthful of sharp pointed teeth. Ancient instincts drove the man to attack the detective only one thing on his mind making the noise stop. The detective watched as the man's flesh bulged and rippled, and in less than a second a man was no longer attacking him, a world was. It was huge even thundering at his on all fours it stood taller than he did. His fingers itched to pull the trigger, but he remembered Detective Benson's words of advice.

"Remember," she had said, "wait until it gets as close as possible, you only get one shot. So you don't want to miss."

So he waited until the black wolf was only three feet away, and he pulled the trigger. Things went terribly wrong, his gun jammed. He didn't have time to reload; he didn't even have time to pull the trigger again and try to squeeze off the shot. The wolf barreled into him, sending him crashing to the ground, and his gun clattered from his hand. The wolf sunk its teeth into his right shoulder at the base of his neck. He screamed in agony, but tried to wrestle it off his shoulder with his right hand while trying to turn off his Howler with his left.

"Run Annabel," he yelled, but the child was frozen in place.

He managed, to pry it off his shoulder, wincing as its razor sharp teeth sliced open his hand, but in the chaos of the attack he had to abandon his effort to turn off his Howler and use both hands in an effort to keep the creature from sinking its teeth into his throat. He managed to keep it away from his throat, but its teeth sliced open his face above his left eye leaving a curved cut that stopped right over his cheek bone. Adrenaline pounded through his veins as he fought to stay alive. "I hate werewolves," he thought. He managed to use his foot to get leverage to hold the beast away from his throat. He managed to finally push the button on the Howler silencing it and ending the attack. The Wolf leapt back a foot and morphed back to his human form. The man spat scornfully on the injured detective, and started to walk back to grab the child, the detective grabbed his gun from where it had fallen and fired at the suspects back. It thudded into the suspect's left shoulder two inches above his heart, but that wasn't close enough, not to kill a werewolf. The man half-turned and gave the detective an arrogant smirk grabbed Annabel and ran off. The detective pulled out his phone and hit Detective Benson's number on his speed dial.

"Hello?" she asked sounding worried, the detectives normally came straight back to HQ after an arrest or extermination, but she preferred to think of them as arrests if they resisted then they had to protect the citizens of Chicago.

"Help," he croaked, now that the adrenaline was wearing off he was begging to feel sluggish and he couldn't ignore the throbbing pain in his shoulder.

"Oh my god, I'll be right there just hold on!" she hung up. He hoped she would make it soon, in time to maybe track the werewolf and save Annabel.

A couple of minutes later screeching tires could be heard entrance of the ally, but it had seemed like hours to the injured detective as he lie their in the newly formed pool of his own blood. Detectives Benson and O'Malley came running up the ally and knelt by him.

"Oh my god, Ryan!" screamed Detective Benson.

"Just hang on, J.R. come on, helps on the way," said Detective O'Malley a panicky edge to his voice.

Five-months-ago

Ryan was sitting in the locker room after one of the worst days of his life, or to be more exact yesterday had been the worst day of his life kidnapped, tortured, and blackmailed and worst of all no one noticed. He'd had to jeopardize an investigation, but a young boy's life had been in danger. He hadn't known what to do, it's not exactly in protocol. He was just grateful for Horatio's last minute intervention. Except, now Horatio's actions could be brought into question and he knew the lab could run without Ryan Wolfe, they'd already proven that, but the lab couldn't run without its leader. It couldn't run without Horatio Caine. Maybe he should quit, stop the investigation before it started, or he could try to pretend nothing had happened. Eric and Calliegh suspected something though; it was strange his attempt to make things right by returning the bullet casing was what'd caused him the most trouble. Calliegh thought he'd been beat up and threatened over his gambling debts, and that was why he'd withheld the evidence. How could she think he'd ever do something like that? Didn't she know him better than that! Sure he was a little in debt ok a lot, but he'd never let it interfere with an investigation. "Besides most of it's not mine anyway," he thought sulkily. Sure it's been his idea to start, but he'd also known when to stop. His friend Billy however, hadn't. So Ryan feeling guilty had taken over his debt. All 100 thousand dollars of it, he'd managed to scrape up some money and pay most of it, but not all of it. He still owed 42 thousand to the wrong people. The Russian Mob, God why'd Billy have to go get caught up with them. He had a son to worry about for crying out loud!! His friend couldn't clean up his own mess, not with his young son, so Ryan had to clean it up for him. He'd just never guessed that it would've been so much trouble it had already cost him his job once, now it may again. Maybe he should quit soon, he didn't want to drag anyone else down with him, besides if it got out that he'd forged evidence in a murder investigation losing his job would be the least of his problems. Sure he should've told Horatio sooner, sure he never should've even started gambling, but he couldn't believe they'd just turn on him like that, with out even giving him a chance to explain himself! Sure he'd expect Delko to pull something like this, but Calliegh? He wished she'd never fallen for Delko, hunh there wasn't a woman CSI Delko hadn't slept with. Natalia and Calliegh, what'd Eric think he was doing? Speak of the devil, Eric walked into the locker room Calliegh trailing behind him with a guilty look on her face. "This can't be good," he thought with dread.

"Look Wolfe," said Eric a self-righteous look on his face "your personal problems are becoming an endangerment to the lab. So I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"You can't tell me to leave Delko," Ryan spat back going on the defensive.

"Look I don't want to turn you in, but we can't let you do this we know your working for Ivan to pay off your debts." Said Eric forcefully

"Is that what you think? Because you've got it all wrong just let me explain" Ryan started

"We don't need an excuse Wolfe, look you quit by the end of shift or we're going to Horatio," Eric interrupted

"Fine goes to Horatio, he already knows," spat Ryan. "Stay cool," he thought to himself, "you were just thinking that it would be better if you quit, and that's all that Eric's saying, don't lose your temper."

"You can't bluff your way through this Wolfe," said Eric.

"I'm not bluffing you can go ask Horatio, if you won't believe me then maybe you'll believe him" Ryan said smugly

"You know what I'm tired of the B.S. Wolfe, I was gonna go to Horatio, but if you won't just come clean or I'm going to go straight to Stettler." Snapped Eric

"Come on," protested Ryan knowing that Eric at this point wasn't going to listen to an explanation or reason so he leaned around him and talked to Calliegh " come on Call, you just gonna let Delko talk for you?"

"She's not talking to you Wolfe," snapped Eric possessively

"Well I'm talking to her, Delko," Ryan snapped, "come on Call you got nothing to say? What happened to Miami's Bullet Girl hunh?"

"Eric's right," she said with a sigh.

"You hear that Wolfe? You're not weaseling out of this one." said Eric.

Ryan squeezed his eyes shut and started chanting in his head I'm not punch Delko, I'm not gonna punch Delko, O.K. I probably am, but I'm not gonna punch Delko at work, I'm not gonna punch him at work.

"Fine," he snapped shoving Delko into the lockers before violently yanking open his and pulling all his stuff out. "But I'll get you for this Delko! I swear I'll show you for this!"

Ryan stormed out of the locker room, brushing past Calliegh not even looking at her. Sure turning their backs on him had been bad enough, but this out and out betrayal. They'd never liked him not really. He felt numbed, almost four year, almost four years and this was how it ended leaving tail between his legs because Delko, slept with every woman in Miami, popped positive for dope, had his badge stolen while having sex in a plaza Delko, Life was laughing at him. Come all this way to have it completely ripped apart and destroyed in a couple days. He sighed and walked toward Horatio's office, he wondered what Horatio would say? Would he be mad at Eric, or will he be glad to have finally gotten rid of me? Well I guess I'll just have to find out, since that Bastard Delko aint giving me a choice. He stood outside the door for a couple moments collecting his thoughts. Things like I can't believe this is happening, and Delko's gonna regret this, flittered through his mind. He glanced over his shoulder to see Delko out side of the locker room watching him with a smug face like he'd won. "What's the prize?" Ryan wondered "protecting the lab? He gets to be the big Hero by forcing me away? Well whatever it is he's got it now." Ryan turned back to face the door trying to keep his face blank. He took a deep breath and pushed it open. Horatio looked up at his entrance he immediately realized that something was wrong.

"What's the matter, Mr. Wolfe," he asked.

By way of answer Ryan unclipped his badge and gun from his belt and laid them on Horatio's desk.

"Eric knows, about the bullet casing he threatened to go to Stettler," Ryan explained

"Did you tell him about the boy," Horatio asked

"I tried he won't listen," Ryan replied trying to keep the anger out of his voice. "…it was a pleasure working for you Lt. Caine," he stated extending his hand.

"Glad to have had you Mr. Wolfe," Horatio said shaking his extended hand.

Ryan turned and walked out of Horatio's office, walked away from everything he'd ever dreamed of, ever worked for. He walked past Natalia in the hallway, she must have noticed something in his expression because she turned and starred at him. He walked through the lobby he glanced over his shoulder with taking it all in one last time, and walked out the doors for good. He was walking through the parking lot to his car when he heard a woman's voice it was so familiar.

"Jonathan, Jonathan Wolfe," called a pretty blonde.

Ryan spun around in shock at hearing someone call his first name; no one ever called him by his first name. In fact most people thought Ryan was his first name not his middle. He smiled when he saw who the duo coming toward him was.

"Kate Benson and Nick O'Malley, what are you doing here?" he said his mood brightening a little bit.

"Working a case what else, but why are you here," said the older woman hugging him

"I am or was a CSI," he told her his grin fading

"What! What happened?" she asked

He froze. Should he tell them? He trusted them, more than he'd trusted anyone at CSI, except Alex. He explained everything about Billy and the gambling, the Russian mob, his kidnapping and blackmail, about the casing and the forged fingerprint that Calliegh and Eric didn't know about.

"Oh you poor thing," exclaimed Kate

"Looks like you haven't been staying out of trouble, Jonathan." Said O'Malley

"Well I go by Ryan now, but yeah not doing so good there," he sighed "and now I need a new job."

"Well you know Special Unit 2 had an open detective position, maybe you should apply," said Kate.

"Yeah bet they can't say you aren't qualified now," said Nick laughing.

"Talent and ability aren't enough to qualify you in a confidential section of the police." Ryan said quoting the man who had cost him his tech job in Special Unit 2. "Do you think I could do it though? Be a Special Unit detective I mean."

"Course you can," said Kate brightly "here its Captain Page's number call him to apply,"

"Oh he's still there is he? Does he still have his other hand or is that one fake now too?" said Ryan laughing referring to the captain's fake hand he had acquired due to an unfortunate case.

"He's managed to keep a hold of that one he's still always losing the fake on though," replied Nick laughing

"I just can't believe this happened," Ryan sighed

"Well hey everything happens for a reason right," said Kate soothingly

"Yeah I guess you're right there, I'm make sure to call," Ryan said brightening up

"That's the Spirit," Said Nick.


	2. Chapter 2

Ryan was sitting in his living room head in his hands, staring at his Blackberry he had sat on the coffee table. Yesterday's events fresh in his mind, did he really want to move to Chicago? What did Miami have? Miami had trouble. He leaned forward to pick up his phone and his bruised ribs reminded him of that. Moving out of Miami was starting to sound like a good idea. He reached into his pocket pulled out the scrap of paper that Kate had written Captain Page's number on. One call and it makes it final no going back. If he got the job they would expect him to show up to take it. He was about to start punching in numbers when his phone rang. Annoyed he looked at the caller ID and saw it was Horatio. "Why is he calling me?" Ryan wondered "oh well it might be something important." He put his phone on speaker and set it on the coffee table.

"Hey H. What's up?" he asked feeling slightly worried. What if Eric had told Stettler after all?

"Don't worry Eric hasn't told Stettler," replied Horatio reassuringly. "How does he do that," Ryan wondered.

"Then what," Ryan started to ask.

"They found where you were held," Horatio said mater of factly.

"Did they run DNA," asked Ryan who was suddenly feeling drained.

"Yes and Eric wants to question you about it, now I can tell him to hold off…" Horatio started.

"No," Ryan interrupted, "you went to bat for me once now it's my turn to step up to the plate, besides I don't need you getting any more tangled up in this."

"Ryan I'm already tangled up in this, you don't have to do this alone if you need help I'm here, and you are not taking the fall for this because you don't want to give me up."

"Fine," Ryan replied, "I just hope it doesn't come to that."

"So do I, Wolfe, so do I," Horatio said, "I'll give Eric the go ahead."

"Do me a favor, and tell him to bring Natalia, she'll listen to me," Ryan said.

"Sure Wolfe," Horatio said as he hung up.

Ryan picked up his Blackberry and started to surf the web. He went Google and typed in Chicago apartments. He scrolled through a couple of results until he found one that sounded promising. 1,600 dollars a week, kitchen, living room, bedroom, bath it also came furnished so he wouldn't have to worry about lugging furniture from Miami to Chicago. Only thing holding it back was the fact it was in one of the more crime prone areas. It was also conveniently located across the street from the dry cleaners that hid the entrance to the Special Unit 2 HQ when they said confidential they meant confidential. Of course they had reason to be secretive. I mean they kept the links in line, links referring to the missing links in evolution also commonly referred to as monsters. Oh well, nothing he could do about it. He E-mailed the apartment supervisor to ask about the apartment:

_Dear Sir or Madam,_

_I am inquiring to see if the cost of electricity, water, ext is included with rent or if tenants are responsible for that themselves. Please contact me with a reply at __.comm__. Thank you._

Ryan was just sending the message when the doorbell rang. "That'll be Eric and Natalia," he thought. He walked to the door still messing with his phone, to make it look like he hadn't been expecting them. He opened the door still looking down at his phone.

"Hello?" he said still looking at his phone.

"Can we come in?" asked Eric.

"Oh hey what are you doing here," he asked looking up and acting surprised.

"You know what we're doing here!" Eric protested walking past him.

"Uh…Hi Ryan," Natalia said following Eric.

Ryan sat down on the couch and Natalia sat down on the other end while Eric paced back and forth on the other side of the coffee table. Eric stopped and leaned over the coffee table getting in Ryan's face, Ryan just leaned back and stared calmly back at him.

"Did you think we wouldn't find out," he asked

"Find out about what?" Ryan asked yawning

"Cut the crap Wolfe." Eric snarled

"Well you're not the most observant sometimes," Ryan said leaning forward

"What's that mean Wolfe?" Eric asked

"Nothing, nothing," Ryan said laughing

"You enjoying making me jump through hoops aren't you Wolfe," Eric accused

"No I enjoy watching you making wrong assumptions, and making yourself look like a fool, but hey to each his own." Ryan shot back.

"Boys, play nice!" Natalia said shocked.

"Yeah, Wolfe play nice," Eric said thumping Ryan right in his bruised ribs with his for arm.

"Shit," Ryan cussed bending over in pain and gasping for air. "Nice comeback Delko," he grunted "it could be considered assault, but nice comeback…Get the hell out of my house!!"

"But…" Eric started

"Get out!" Ryan yelled

"Fine!" Eric yelled back storming out.

"Are you okay Ryan?" Natalia asked concerned "we need to get you to a hospital, something could be broken!"

"No, I'm fine just bruises I already had the x-rays anyway" Ryan muttered.

"What did you just say?" Natalia asked shocked

"Nothing," Ryan muttered embarrassed

"Ryan what's going on?" Natalia asked

"Nothing, nothing's going on," Ryan stammered.

"Ryan tell me," She prodded

"There's nothing to tell," Ryan protested.

"Ryan we found duck tape a chair and blood, I think I know what happened, and what'd they make you do?" Natalia said gently

"They didn't make me do anything, not with the chair, and duck tape anyway" Ryan muttered turning away so he wouldn't have to look her in the eye.

"What is there something else? Are they blackmailing you?" Natalia asked concerned.

"Look it's taken care of all right! It's over I just need this to go away." Ryan said getting agitated.

"Ryan…" she started

"I think you should go now," Ryan said.

"Ryan please just tell me," Natalia begged

"Look I offered explanations no one wanted one," Ryan said agitated standing up.

"I want one," Natalia said.

Ryan walked to the door and opened it making it clear he wanted her to leave. Natalia sighed and stood up.

"Fine I'll leave," she said walking toward the door. She paused in the doorway," Just Ryan... next time I see you please, please don't let it be in a body bag." She said before walking out.

"I won't," he promised shutting the door behind her.

He walked back to the couch, and sat down rubbing his temples. He could feel a migraine coming on. Just as he was about to lie down on the couch and take a nap when his phone buzzed wearily he sat up grabbed his phone. He'd gotten a reply to his question.

_Dear Mr. Wolfe,_

_The cost of electricity and water bills are included in rent unless you run them over a certain amount. Cable, Phone, ext are not provided._

"Well looks like I have a place I can live if I do move," Ryan thought, "now if I can only swing a job too." Well there was no putting it of any longer, time to grab the bull by the horns so to speak. He picked up his phone and dialed Captain Page's number and it rang.

"Captain Page," came a gruff voice over his phone.

"Um, yes this is Jonathan Wolfe and I'm calling to apply for you're open detective position." Ryan said freezing and trying to keep the confusion out of his voice.

"Yes, the tech Jonathan right?" Page asked.

"Yes sir, that's me." Ryan confirmed.

"And what makes you qualified for the position?" Page questioned

"Well I have four years working as a Miami CSI and some years in the patrol before that I have a degree in chemistry plus link experience from my tech job, sir," Ryan said trying to ignore the pounding on his door and praying the Captain Page couldn't hear it.

"Not to mention strong recommendations from both Detectives O'Malley and Benson," Captain Page told him. "When can you start?"

"Um, about a week? I have to move to Chicago from Miami." Ryan offered

"I'll be expecting you," Captain Page said hanging up.

"Looks like I'm moving to Chicago," Ryan muttered going back to the apartment website, but this time he sent them his name and number telling them he wanted to rent the apartment and to contact him as soon as possible. He then went to the airport website and bought plane tickets to Chicago 8am Thursday, that was in two days plenty of time to lock up his house. He didn't plan to sell his Miami house not yet; his Granddad had left him the land in his will it'd been in the family for generations.

Five-months-later

Detective Wolfe could barely hear the worried voices above him, but he could barely feel the pain in his shoulder either. He wondered if that was a good thing. Some drug from the I.V. taking effect. Vaguely he wondered if the legends about Werewolf bites were true. You know the whole he was bitten by a Werewolf and now he was going to turn into one. Maybe that wouldn't be so bad. He knew some descent Werewolves.


	3. Chapter 3

Ryan had been lying in this dream reality for what seemed like days. He was awake, but not awake. He could tell what was going on around him but he couldn't move couldn't speak. His eyes were closed so he couldn't see anything, but he knew he was probably in the Special Unit 2 infirmary one of the new additions when they remodeled the place. One of the best things about it was it wasn't under ground. It was in a neighboring building connected by, of course, underground tunnels. When he got stuck on surveillance work he could go almost an entire day without seeing the sun. He knew what the infirmary looked like because of all the time he'd dropped by there trying to hit on the pretty doctor. He listened to her give his prognosis to a worried Nick and Kate.

"His heartbeat has quickened to an abnormal rate, and he's running a fever of 102F that I can't seem to bring down. We won't know if his DNA is mutating into that of a Werewolf until the results from the blood test comes back. That could take anywhere from a couple hours to a week," She explained sadly

"So we don't know anything," Nick said bluntly

"We don't know anything yet," corrected Dr. Magee Hurriedly in that slight Italian accent of hers. He remembered teasing her about it and her mix matched Italian and American name and getting this Reply:

"My mom's an Italian immigrant and my dad's an American. My Mom wanted to name me something Italian but my dad's got an American last name hence the name: Ammereta Isabella Magee. I kind like it though." She'd said teasingly

"Oh me too," He'd stuttered.

"Not smooth, Wolfe, not smooth," he though not really paying attention to the conversation since it was going into the technical medical details he didn't feel like hearing. He wished he could move, but he couldn't it didn't make sense. He didn't feel sick, but he still couldn't move. In fact he actually felt better, at first he had felt terrible and his shoulder had been an agonizing throbbing pain but then little by little he'd started feeling stronger, and the pain had faded. He wondered if he was turning into a Werewolf. They did heal unnaturally quickly that could explain his shoulder, but wait if his shoulder had healed Dr. Magee would've noticed it and they wouldn't be waiting for his blood test. He decided to listen to the conversation to see if he could pick up any more information that might help him figure out what was going on.

"What are we going to do if J.R. does turn into a Werewolf." He heard Nick ask.

"Well you're the detectives," said Dr. Magee sadly, "but I think it'll depend on whether he goes Rouge or not."

Ryan wanted to cringe at that, but he couldn't. Turning into a Rouge Werewolf was one of his greatest fears. A Rouge Werewolf is a Werewolf that has completely lost the human side of his or herself. They become beasts that live solely on instinct. They became killing machines, existing only to stalk their prey, humans. The Werewolf who had taken Annabel and attacked him had been Rouge. Werewolves almost never attacked if they weren't Rouges. Most Non-Rouge Werewolves wanted to just hide that fact and live semi-normal lives. Just being a Werewolf didn't make you a monster. It just made it hard not to be. He remembered a conversation he'd had with Werewolf and fiction writer Marie Johnson.

"It's like a battle, just to hold on to who you are. You can't lose, because if you do you become what everyone sees in their nightmares, and even if you don't lose people still hate you and are scared of you." She'd said so sadly.

"I'm not scared of you," he'd said

"Yes you are, you keep watching me to see if I'm safe, but at least you try not to make it so obvious," She'd replied. He didn't have an answer because he knew she was right.

"Okay so you make me nervous, but you're still one of the best friends

I've ever had," he'd said honestly

She'd snorted doubtfully.

"No seriously, you're nicer than some of the cops I've known." He'd said trying to cheer her up.

"Eric Delko at the top of that list," She'd asked with a smile.

"Exactly!" he said happy to have cheered her up.

He could be turning into a monster and here he was reminiscing, but he guesses it wasn't exactly unexpected. He'd know the danger coming into it. I mean he'd provoked a Werewolf to attack him, he'd know something could go wrong. Suddenly a bolt of pain jolted down his spine, and his eyes flew open. He twisted and jerked, gasping for breath, the pain still there. Faintly he heard Dr. Magee push a concerned Nick and a Distraught Kate out the door and run over to him.

"Ryan is you okay?" she asked checking the different monitors he was hooked up to.

He tried to reply but only managed a strangled snarl as he convulsed. Something was wrong really wrong. He wasn't sure whether it was he was going to die wrong or he was changing into a Werewolf wrong, but something was wrong. His upper teeth elongated into sharp canines and the rest of his teeth became subtly pointed. "Guess that answers the question," He thought ruefully. It took most of his will power not to just come bursting out of his skin, and he rolled and turned trying to get away from the agony now working its way through his body. "Should've been a stupid reporter again," he though regretting this unfortunate (although not completely unexpected since things had a habit of turning out kind of crappy for him) turn of events. When he finally managed to regain control (and not turn into a raging beast aka Rouge) he'd acquired some new sharp pointy claws and teeth, but last but damn well not least a furry tail. He carefully sat up and grabbed his new appendage with one hand. "It could be worse, but a tail? Hopefully that's temporary" he thought that sounded crazy but you'd have to be at least slightly crazy to have gone through all the crap he had.

"Guess we won't need the blood tests," he muttered pretty much used to crap like this happening. People didn't die every day at Special Unit 2, but there were four things that would happen #1 Captain Page would yell at someone probably him, Nick, Karl, or all three with some of the techs in for good measure #2 the coffee machine would break #3 Karl would hold up at least one convenience store #4 and some crazy link related thing would happen that they'd usually turn to they're advantage. He just hoped that they could work this one out before it screwed with his paycheck. He was running low on cash due to a few old debts that had come up.

One-year-later

It was good to be a Werewolf sure at first it was hard not to go Wolf every time he got mad, but with a year's worth of practice he was kicking link ass and tacking major names. He was standing "loitering" in front of a skyscraper. He hated stakeouts, but hey excitement and an arrest usually followed. Maybe he'd get to enjoy a good brawl or two. He smiled a wiry grin at how much live as a Werewolf had changed him. Couldn't say it wasn't fun though.

_*** Thanks 4 the awesome reviews ;p they're really encouraging hope you like the story so far! Sorry it took so long, caught a little case of writer's block now lets just hope I don't catch swine flu too. **_


	4. Chapter 4

He was hurtling up the stair well after the suspect who was holding at seven month old baby. Why'd they always go after the children? Well he actually knew he just didn't like to think about it. Even trying to understand link instincts made his come out. Too much of that and he'd end up a Rouge baby snatcher. That was the stupid part of being a Werewolf, it scared him. He didn't want to end up hurting anyone, but he wasn't going to. His instincts were strong, but he was stronger. Besides most links had the most problems if the gave up fighting their instincts and aint no way in Hell he was going to give up! He sped past the door to the 19th floor he'd chased this link up from the bottom floor they would hit the roof soon if they kept this pace up. He took the steps four at a time catching up to the link; He caught a whiff of the Link's scent and immediately knew he was a Goblin. Nothing else stunk like that. They reached the 20th floor; Ryan tackled the Goblin just as he was about to head out onto the roof. They came barreling through the rooftop door knocking it off its hinges. They fell in a tangle of Werewolf and Goblin limbs. Ryan landed a powerful right to the Goblin's jaw. He gave a satisfied growl as he felt bone snap. Sometimes it made him nervous just how much he thoroughly enjoyed snapping a bone or two, but some people just deserved it. He made a grab for the infant, but it threw him off balance and the Goblin took that as an opportunity to send a well timed kick to his stomach sending him flying backward 10 feet. He came skidding to a stop near the edge of the roof, as the Goblin took off with the baby in the other direction. Ryan picked himself up and hurtled after them. The Goblin tried to flee from the angry Werewolf, but he found his escape route was cut off by a 6 foot gap. He tightened his grip on the baby desperate not to lose his prize now. His jaw hanging limp because the Werewolf had shattered it but he ignored the pain and took a couple steps backward so he could get a running start for his leap. He ran the two steps foreword, swung his foot up and pushed of against the raised edge of the roof. He sailed over the gap, but he caught his foot of the edge of the roof he was landing on. He fell foreword throwing a hand out to catch himself and he almost dropped the screaming baby. He scrambled to his feet and ran, but Ryan wasn't far behind. Ryan, without even breaking his stride, pushed off of the raised edge and easily cleared the 6 foot jump. His landing was flawless catching him up a couple seconds to the clumsy Goblin. This was going to be an easy arrest, when he managed to catch up to the Goblin, which wouldn't take that long.

"You could give up now," he called to the fleeing Goblin as he was just yards away from it and was gaining fast.

It was good to be a Werewolf. "Got you now," he thought with satisfaction as the Goblin came to the edge of the roof. Aint no way the Goblin was going to clear the 21 foot jump. Ryan could probably manage it, it'd be hard, but he could manage. There was no where to go, unless the Goblin was stupid enough to try jumping off the building, but of course, it was. The Goblin took a deep breath and hurled himself over the edge. Ryan wouldn't have been too concerned if the Goblin hadn't still been holding the baby. He vaulted off the roof after them. A 20 story drop wouldn't bother a Werewolf that much. Screams erupted from the street below. "Not the most subtle," he thought sourly knowing Captain Page would be so mad at him for this one. He'd deal with that when it happened right now he had to remember the formula Tyron Briggs, the Special Unit 2 computer tech, had given him for the angle at which to bend his knees when he hit the ground so as to not bust up his legs. He couldn't so he just said what the hell and decided to wing it. Broken legs were the worst he could get out of it, and even those would be fine in a couple hours. Werewolves didn't really have to worry about that sort of stuff a lot, well unless you were planning to get into a fight directly after like he was. Well even with a couple of busted legs he wasn't losing to a baby snatcher. Oh well, nothing risked and nothing earned. The Goblin went crashing into the street, snapping both legs of course. Ryan managed a less graceful but more effective landing, crushing the yellow Mustang he landed on but keeping his legs intact. He walked over to the Goblin who was rolling in the dust screaming in pain the baby forgotten.

"Shouldn't have resisted arrest," he said tauntingly. He picked up the baby and was making stupid faces trying to get it to calm down before it blew his sensitive eardrums out when his partner came driving around the corner it their SU2 sports car some links ran fast so a regular officer needed a fast care to catch them. His young redheaded partner, A.J. Dinozzo, stepped out of the car. He had joined the SU2 after Ryan became a Werewolf so to him he wasn't the poor geek who had the misfortune to become a Werewolf he was the Experienced Kick-ass Werewolf cop, and Ryan liked that image better. Ryan would have sworn A.J. was a younger version of his old boss Horatio Caine complete in summer with sun glasses. Although he had to say A.J.'s American Eagle looked cooler than Horatio's pair although he normally just wore them like a normal person instead of dramatically yanking them on and off all the time. Not that he was dissing Horatio, the man was a Hero and had saved his ass more times than he cared to count, but it was a little irregular

"What?" A.J. asked confused. He was confused a lot but you could count on him to have your back when you needed to keep a hungry link off of it.

"He jumped off the building," Ryan said nonchalantly bouncing the now smiling baby.

"He's that stupid?" A.J. said surprised

"Yes A.J. Goblins aren't known for being smart," Ryan informed him.

"So that's what he is." A.J. said glancing at the Goblin that was trying to crawl away, "I'm gonna cuff it now that O.K.?"

"Don't ask just do, if you ask you seem like you don't now what you're doing," Ryan said patiently to his Rookie partner. A.J. was a Rookie but he was still useful in a jam, he was a good shot.

Ryan glanced at the staring crowd and was slightly worried at the mess he made, but that was a nightmare for the P.R. to clean up not him. He had a baby to return and a criminal to lock up. He took off his prized, but tattered, leather jacket draped it around the baby, and trudged through the snow to the car. The snow didn't bother him since his normal temperature was about 120F.

Miami, Florida

Horatio Caine pulled off his sun glasses and stared down at his second mangled corpse of the week.

"Tara," he said quietly to get the M.E. attention.

"Yes Horatio?" She asked looking up from the body

"What do we have?" he asked calmly

"Male, John Doe, probably in his teens. Looks like he was attacked by dogs, took a big chunk out of him. Might be coyotes, this is the second one this week."

"No this man was murdered," Horatio said ominously, "it also mean that this is a Special Unit 2 case."

"Special Unit 2, what's that?" asked Tara

"It's a Chicago based section of the police they're highly specialized and confidential." He explained

"Well what makes this case so special?" she asked curiously. Horatio hated having to give up a case so why was he the one suggesting it?

"A year ago we had seven cases like this over a period of a couple months. We couldn't make any sense of the evidence. We were running around in circles when Special Unit 2 must have gotten wind of it somehow. They claimed the case, had it cleared up within a week." He told her calmly although the truth was he didn't like not knowing what was going on with his cases, but Detectives O'Malley and Benson had seemed to know what they were doing.

"But why is it even a murder?" She asked still puzzled, "Looks more like a job for animal control to me."

"Because someone is making their dog into a murder weapon," he putting his sun glasses one and walking away. He pulled out his phone and scrolled through his lengthy list of contacts until he found the one labeled Special Unit 2 he pressed the call button and waited as it rang.

"Special Unit 2," came a brisk voice from over the phone.

"Yes this is L.T. Caine from the Miami crime lab. I need to speak to either Detective Benson or O'Malley it's about an old murder case. I have some new cases that I think are connected." Horatio explained

"O.K. well, Detectives Benson and O'Malley are on a long term case right now won't be over for anywhere to a mouth to a year, but I can send another group of Detectives if you want." said the secretary.

"Yes, and please get that done as soon as possible." Horatio said before hanging up.

Chicago, Illinois

Ryan was munching on a semi-circle half of an extra, extra large sausage and pepperoni pizza. Increased appetite was one of the down falls of life as a Werewolf, but it palled in light of the pros. He reached with his left hand and grabbed an extra large cup of coffee and chugged it down in one go throwing the empty cup in a pile with the other five. His mouth was full of pizza when his office phone rang. "Crap," he thought quickly swallowing in case it was Captain Page about now seemed like when he'd find out about the whole jumping off the roof thing.

"Detective Wolfe," he said trying not to belch. God, why'd he always have to be so hungry? It was a real inconvenience.

"Yeah, got a new case for you," said Pamela the secretary.

"What's the address?" he asked slightly relieved that it wasn't Captain Page, and slightly annoyed. "No rest for the weary," he thought. You'd think jumping off a building wound at least get you more than a fifty minute break beside he was hungry.

"It's an out of state case," she informed him. "Ugh, Airplanes," he thought unhappily. Personally he preferred having both feet firmly on the ground.

"Which state?" he asked hoping at least it could be Hawaii again although those spider-rat-piranha things had been a pain to get rid of. He reached for his sixth cup off coffee feeling slightly optimistic as he started to drink it.

"Miami, Florida," she said. He inhaled his coffee at that, coughing and gagging, he waved at A.J. to take the phone while he caught his breath. Well that had ruined his day.

"Detective Dinozzo, uh my partner kind of inhaled his coffee he'll be right back." Said A.J. "smooth kid," Ryan thought but he couldn't work up any annoyance at the over enthusiastic young man.

"Oh, was it one of those big giant coffee things he likes to drink?" asked Pamela

"Yeah, can't stomach them myself," A.J. said perkily.

"Give me the phone," Ryan said reaching for it. "Today is one of those days," he thought one of those days when some higher power decided it's a great day to pound a Werewolf into the dust and he was the only one available.

"What's the case?" he asked more than slightly annoyed. He could only imagine the Hell the Miami CSIs would give him. "At least Horatio and Alex will be happy to see me" he thought trying to regain some of his former happiness.

"Werewolf problem, it's a follow up on an old case of Kate and Nick's," said Pamela.

"You got us tickets?" Ryan asked determined to do his job even though he was not happy about where it was taking him, and it just had to be Werewolves the only thing he might have trouble taking care of, but what ever he'd get it done. "Somehow someway the Werewolf was going down, and maybe Delko too if he gets in my way." Ryan tried to reassure himself it didn't work.

"Yep, 1:00's when your flight departs." She confirmed

"Damn," Ryan cursed. That was in less than an hour. "Fine we'll be there," he told her hanging up "Get the silver bullets." He told A.J.

"Werewolves?" asked A.J.

"Yep," Ryan replied rummaging around in his desk trying to find his passport. "It's here somewhere," he grumbled looking through the desk a second time to see if he missed it.

"What'cha looking for?" A.J. asked peering over his shoulder.

"My passport," Ryan answered

"It's in the file cabinet with mine," A.J. said amused, "you put them there so you wouldn't forget where they were."

Ryan decided to ignore the last part of A.J.'s comment and walked over to the file cabinet. He yanked open the first drawer, and sure enough, there they were. He grabbed his passport shoving it into his jacket pocket, he threw A.J. his. A.J. plucked his passport out of the air, and put it in his back pocket.

"I got to go pack," He told A.J., "get the silver bullet, and then get ready. Meet you at the airport say…12:45?"

"Awesome," A.J. called over his shoulder as he was leaving to go to firearms.

Miami, Florida

Calliegh was processing the latest in the string of Special Unit 2 cases. It was officially a Special Unit 2 case, but since they weren't here yet there was no point in risking losing some of the more time sensitive evidence. She grimaced as she took a swab of the blood pool. She'd never seen anything like these Special Unit 2 cases. This poor girl was missing an arm, and she was disemboweled. She was doubtful any dog could do this much damage. She was just pondering the fact when she heard Eric's raised voice coming form the other side of the crime scene. More than slightly irritated since she and Eric were no longer on speaking terms because she'd caught him cheating on her with Natalia. Walking into a bar and finding your boyfriend making out with your coworker is not a good way to start your night. That had been a week ago, and she had dumped him on the spot, but she was still upset. "I need to find another guy," she thought trudging over to see why Eric was so upset.

"You can't just come in here and take the crime scene!" Yelled Eric waving his hand in the air like a madman at someone who was standing just out of her line or sight because they were standing behind the parked Hummer.

"Can, am," came a slightly familiar voice not at all intimidated by Eric. "Besides your boss did call us about the case."

"Must be Special Unit 2," she thought, "stupid Eric, why'd he always have to make every thing so difficult.

"I thought he meant Detectives Benson and O'Malley, not…you and some, some Rookie."

"What's he talking about?" Calliegh wondered. She walked up to them, but froze when she saw who the Special Unit 2 Detective was. It was Ryan Wolfe!! He looked a lot different, but he had it arms folded over his chest and his head cocked to one side in a classic Wolfe stare. His Brown hair was a little longer, but it was still gelled back in the same old style. She noticed a nasty looking scar above his left eye. How the Hell did a guy like Wolfe end up with a scar like that? He was wearing a pair of black pants, a light green button up shirt, and a black suit jacket. He didn't have a tie though and his shirt was untucked. She couldn't believe that OCD Ryan could stand to have his shirt like that.

A young redheaded cop that reminded her of Horatio sunglasses and everything was standing behind Ryan looking awkward and somewhat confused. He was wearing a pair of nice navy blue jeans, an unbuttoned white button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up past his elbows, a Black T- shirt underneath the button up shirt, and a light blue tie. He looked 24, 25 at the most. She looked back at Wolfe, but he didn't act like he used to. He was actually standing up to Delko without so much as blinking! The old Ryan never would've done that he wouldn't even be able to look him in the eye much less stare him down like he was doing now. He had a cocky smile on his face that seemed familiar to her. It was a Jake smile she realized.

"Fine," Eric said backing down, Ryan broke out into one of his old friendly, but slightly goofy smile. Now that was the Ryan she knew, but there was just something about seeing him with that Jake smile.

_***Thanks for the awesome reviews as you can guess this is E/N and maybe R/C don't* know yet**_.

_** !**_

_**-Ryanfan14**_


	5. Chapter 5

Ryan and A.J. were poking around the crime scene looking for anything that might help them get their man… or Werewolf. Ryan was raking his gloved fingers carefully through the dirt around the body. Something sharp punctured his glove and stabbed his finger. He yanked his hand back, and watched mildly as two drops of his crimson blood fell to the ground before the cut healed. He took out a pair of tweezers, and reached down to pick up the back up with a Werewolf's fang clamped tightly in the tweezers.

"Hey A.J. over here," he called over his shoulder to the younger detective holding the fang up for A.J. to see. "What does this look like to you?" he asked handing it to him to examine, "Careful it's sharp," he told him a second after A.J. sliced his finger open.

"Thanks," A.J. muttered sarcastically as he turned the tooth over in his hands careful of the sharp part. "Looks like a canine tooth. From the upper jaw maybe." He said looking to Ryan for a confirmation.

"Yep," Ryan conformed holding out an evidence bag for the tooth, "also means we've got to problem," he said sealing the evidence bag.

"Problem?" A.J. asked mentally reviewing the case wondering what he missed.

"You see the size of this," Ryan said holding the bag in front of his face, "I'm feeling a serious urge to carbon date this thing to see if it's from a dinosaur."

A.J. chuckled and leaned in closer to get a closer look. "How big is it? Four inches?" he guessed.

"Looks about right," Ryan said, "and you know what this means. Big ass tooth, big ass mouth to go with it."

"You know what? I think it's best if the senior Detective handles the arrest." A.J. said

Ryan just laughed at that. A.J. had been asking to make a solo arrest for months "What's the matter? Afraid of a mutt?" he teased.

"No, I just don't have a burning desire to get eaten dog-boy." A.J. shot back

"Whatever Antonio," Ryan said using the younger man's full name just because he knew it bugged him.

"So what other evidence did you get, Jonathan?" A.J. asked

"Uh, I got some hair, might be able to get hair color, a couple paw prints, and of course the tooth how about you?" Ryan replied only slightly irritated by the use of his first name.

"More hairs, paw prints, oh I did get some shoe prints from where he morphed," A.J. told him.

"Alright, let's get this stuff back to the lab, and see what we can find out," Ryan said standing up and heading toward the car.

"Hey I'm driving!" A.J. called

"Fine," Ryan said tossing him the keys, "But you crash and its coming out of your pay check not mine."

Miami, Florida Crime Lab

"I just can't believe this!" Eric said angrily to Natalia. "How'd that crooked, evidence tampering, beat cop manage to pull a job like Special Unit 2 Detective?"

"He's not crooked," Natalia protested gently, "he was tortured and blackmailed. Why else do you think he pulled that disappearing act?"

"Still I think he's up to something," Eric said, "and I'm gonna find out what."

"I don't know, poking around in a confidential case sounds like a bad idea to me." Natalia said not really likening where this conversation was going.

"Come on please for me?" he asked rubbing her back with one hand. She relented "Fine,"

A.J. parked the car out side the crime lab. He got out of the car and stood staring at the impressive building in awe. He heard Ryan kick the passenger side door shut on account of the box of evidence in his arms.

"Damn, why can't our building be this nice!?" A.J. exclaimed

Ryan just gave the building a bored glance, and shrugged "We got the better car," He said jerking his head in the general direction of the sports car "Speaking of cars remember to lock ours."

"Oh yeah," A.J. said pulling the keys out of his pocket the car lights flashed and beeped confirming it was locked. He hurried up the steps after Ryan.

Ryan paused before the glass doors; he took a deep breath and put on his "blank" face. The one that didn't let anyone guess what he was thinking. Great for interrogations, and when entering a building full of people who thought he was a lying son of a bitch. He waited for A.J. to catch up and open the door since he didn't want to risk dropping the evidence. A.J. bounded up the stairs is his usually cheerful manner, and yanked the glass door open. Ryan walked through the door into the all too familiar lobby. He had no clue where he and A.J. supposed to work so he decided to find Horatio and ask him. He just hoped his office was in the same place. He started to walk toward the elevator trying to act like he had knew where he was going which he did if they hadn't changed anything. A.J. followed him probably assuming he actually was sure where he was going. He impatiently jabbed at the elevator button with one hand while balancing the evidence box with the other. Normally A.J. would've made some smart- ass comment, but he decided against it since just being in the building seemed to put Ryan in a bad mood, and when Ryan was in a bad mood A.J. generally tried not to annoy him. He didn't seriously think Ryan would rip his head off or anything, but he really didn't want to be on the receiving end of one of those break-a-bone punches of his. He'd never actually seen Ryan lose his temper and hit someone (Links aside it didn't hurt them that bad), but there was a first time for everything. Besides a ticked off Werewolf was a ticked off Werewolf self-control or not. You didn't mess with them they might throw you through a wall. The elevator finally open and A.J. thought for one insane moment that he was seeing double two men about his age, with dark brown hair, the exact same hair cut, brown eyes, they were both wearing white dress shirts with black pants, but the one on the right was wearing a green tie and the one on the left was wearing a black tie.

"Twins," they said in unison

"Brett," the black tie one said

"Greg," the green tie one said

"Nice to meet you I'm Detective Wolfe, and this is Detective Dinozzo. Special Unit 2," Ryan said balancing the box on one hand again to shake the twin's hands.

"Nice to meet you," A.J. echoed extending his hand too.

"Have you seen LT. Caine?" Ryan asked

"He's actually waiting for you," Greg started "Once you get off the elevator," finished Brett as they exited the elevator as the door shut behind them.

"I wonder if they always do that." A.J. said more to himself than to Ryan.

"Do what dress alike?" Ryan asked

"No finish each other's sentences it's kind of creepy." A.J. said

Ryan just shrugged as the door opened and he found himself staring at the weather face of LT. Caine.

"Hey," Ryan said stepping out the elevator A.J. trailing behind him.

"And I was worried about you!" came a teasing motherly voice.

Ryan wound know that voice anywhere. "Alex!" he said finally feeling happy to be back in Miami. No matter what kind of abuse he'd have to endure from Delko and the other seeing this kind, motherly woman again made up for at least some of it. He gave her a happy hug, careful not to hug her too hard.

"What are you doing here?" he asked surprised to see her since she was no longer the M.E., although probably not as surprised as she was to see him.

"Just helping Tara go over some old autopsy files of mine." She answered looking at him seriously. "Uh oh," he thought. Even after a year he remembered that look. It was her

I want an answer and I want it now Ryan look. There was only one question he would she'd want to ask, and he didn't want to answer it.

"How could you just disappear like that?!" She asked tears welling in her eyes, and a bit of anxiety creeping into her voice a years worth of pent up worry and frustrating boiling just below the surface

Ryan looked down at his feet guiltily, as Horatio watched him expectantly and A.J. suddenly became very interested in his tie. Kid knew when to make himself scarce Ryan made himself look himself look her in the eye, and tried to answer her without really giving her any answers, "Because right then I had to." A stricken look flashed across Horatio's face as he realized what he meant. A normal person wouldn't have picked up on it a slight twitch of his mouth, and there was something about the eyes. He resisted the urge to smile at his accomplishment. Even Horatio was an open book to his Werewolf perception of the world. Alex didn't notice either Horatio or his slight smirk that he quickly pulled back into his "blank" face.

"Just a little phone call or even a note taped to your door." Alex cried on the verge of breaking into tears.

Ryan didn't answer; he didn't want to admit that it hadn't even crossed his mind. First in his rush to leave, and not leave any way for a certain group of Russians to find him and then in the Chaos of the first few mouths of his new job, and then in trying to cope with being a Werewolf. He'd had a lot on his plate, but he really should've remembered that. When it became clear that he wasn't about to answer. Causing him to feel even more guilty, but he knew the truth would upset her even more and her couldn't tell her all of it anyway.

"We had to find out what had happened to you by going through your credit card statements. You'd rented an apartment, bought an airplane ticket and disappeared." She continued on her rant ignoring the tears that were leaking down her cheeks. "I went over there to check on you because Natalia was worried about you because you were hurt and you weren't there. Why in the world would you do that?"

"Look, Alex I can't explain what I did then, but I promises I won't do anything like it again… you want to maybe go get lunch somewhere catch up?" he said trying to sooth the conversation.

"You better not," she said trying to calm back down.

"So how's your son?" Ryan asked.

"Earning his Bachelors degree at Miami U." Alex said proudly "Meet you at Fernandez's at noon?" she asked

"I'll be there," he said making a mental note to get something to eat before that so he wouldn't inhale his food, and freak her out. Alex nodded and got into the elevator.

"No wonder you inhaled your coffee," A.J. muttered from his position kneeling on the floor fiddling with his shoe lace.

"Shut up A.J." Ryan hissed at him as the young man stood up not wanting to have to explain that particular incident

"So let me show you where you will be working," Horatio said showing them down the hallway.

Ryan at one of the tables just outside of Fernandez's to make sure Alex would be able to see him. He'd shown up over Twenty minutes over (after stopping for burgers) just to make sure she wouldn't have to wait up for him. He really wanted to make up for upsetting her he was even going to pay for whatever she wanted even though Fernandez's wasn't the cheapest place as it was right by the beach and a tourist hotspot. He glanced over the menu wondering which Italian dish he should order, and which one was cheapest since even though he was pulling a bigger salary now he still didn't have money to throw all over the place. A camera crew was broadcasting from across the street. Suddenly the place erupted in screams. A giant wolf was chasing a woman down the street; she had a nasty bite wound to her right side. She was barely able to keep running. Ryan calmly acted on honed reflexes and instinct not to mention training. He jumped up knocking over his chair and pulled out his gun, a 9-mil loaded with silver bullets. According to Special Unit 2 training he slide himself in between the woman and the threat, in this case the wolf and pointed his gun at it. It was as big as a horse; most Werewolves weren't that big Ryan was only about the size of a Great Dane a big one, but still not horse sized. "Can't get away from work can I," he thought ruefully as he released a round at it's head. It jumped to the side the bullet flying harmlessly past it and lodging it's self in a tree.

"What the hell!" Ryan exclaimed.

Werewolves couldn't do that! At least not in wolf form it was hard to get all four feet coordinated and heading in the same direction. Ryan swiveled on one foot and followed its movements he was about to try a second shot as it circled him, not attacking like a Rouge should. Suddenly machine gun fire ripped through the air ripping a hole in Ryan jacket but missing him.

"Shit," He cursed as he ducked down behind a parked car. He tried to listen to where the wolf was but he couldn't here anything but gunfire suddenly the car he was hiding behind was crashed into sending it flying. Acting quickly he through himself down to the ground and rolled toward the car as it flew toward him slipping under it he came out of his roll on one knee eye-to-eye with the wolf he unloaded his gun and put two bullets in it's head as it fell down dead the man with the gun ran off Ryan mentally jotted down his features. White, red hair, about 5'6, 5'7 and ran to where the woman had fallen.

"Call 911!" he yelled pulling off his jacket and pushing it against the woman's wound to stop the bleeding. "Hang on, hang on, it's going to be O.K.," he murmured to the woman. This case was already out of hand and he'd just gotten here!

_*** well here's the next chapter sorry it took so long I have pre-finals stress and post-MCT2 brain-fried-ness not. Well hope you like it! Please R&R. **_


	6. Chapter 6

Alex had been looking foreword to a nice quiet dinner with an old friend after the chaos of working in the E.R. what she got was a cross between the E.R. and a battle field.

People were running around, a camera crew was gleefully filming the destruction, the restaurant had been peppered with bullets, a car had been flipped over, and a horse sized wolf was lying dead in the street. A crowd of people was standing in a loose circle a cameraman shoved his way through the crowd and knelt down with the camera.

"Get the Hell back! Can't you see the woman needs room to breathe not a freaking camera shoved in her face! God, you'd think you people enjoyed other people's pain," She heard Ryan angry voice come as the man was shoved backward into the circle.

"Ryan?" she yelled confused and numbed she only wanted Italian food! Was that too much to ask?

"Alex! Over here!" he yelled sounding tired

She recognized the urgency in his voice and shoved her way through the crowd. A young Asian woman was lying on the ground in a pool of blood. Ryan was pressing his jacket to a wound in her side. The woman moaned softly, and stirred.

"It's okay," Ryan murmured gently using his thumb to wipe away a stream of blood leaking from the corner of her mouth.

"What happened?" Alex asked immediately going into work mode starting to check the woman's vitals.

As Alex worked on her new and unexpected patient Ryan retreated out of her way, and stood back just inside the circle of people. It annoyed him how people could watch something like this, but it did make his job easier if no one left. He perked up his ears using his supernatural hearing he heard the sirens of the ambulance from several blocks away. He sent A.J. a text with the address of the restaurant and to come as soon as possible. He waited until the ambulance was only less than a block away before he took a couple steeps foreword and knelt down by Alex, but well out of her way.

"I need you to do something for me," he whispered hating to drag her into it, but this needed to be nipped in the bud and there was only one of him.

"What?" she asked glancing at him.

"I need you to ride with her in the ambulance and make sure the media doesn't get a hold of this make sure the doctors understand that the information about her injuries in need to know, hospital staff and family only, and no press. This is important if we want to stop a panic just tell the press it is the latest in the serials if you have to say anything at all." He instructed hoping she would listen to him.

She gave him a strange look

"Trust me if this gets out that we have horse sized wolves in Miami we will have a panic on our hands." Ryan implored her.

"Fine," she said giving him another one of her I expect an answer looks. They were getting annoying since part of his job was to not answer certain questions at least not truthfully.

Ryan sighed pausing in the lobby of the Happy Jack's Motel looking at it unenthusiastically. "Stupid budget cuts," he thought. The place was a dump even happy-go-lucky A.J. was looking down about it. He felt exhausted and had a major migraine from ruthless reporting and playing Ring-around-the-answer with Alex, he'd always thought how wrong it was that that was a children's song since Karl had gleefully told him it was about the Black Plague, but back to Alex she just didn't give up and some fabricated story about breeding and steroids didn't seem to satisfy her as an answer as to why the wolf was so big, and confiscating the camera footage had been a pain in the ass. He'd literally had to wrestle the tape away from the camera man who'd kicked him in the knee and tried to run. Getting it away from him wasn't hard it was getting it away from him without accidentally hurting him that was hard. Sometimes being a Werewolf sucked. He walked up to the check in desk obliterating at least five roaches on his way there. His spirits worsened at every "crunch splat" he heard as he murdered yet another one. He'd have to talk to Captain Page about this when he got back. He viscously sent a small rat flying with a sharp kick as he got to the desk.

"Can I help you?" the man said showing a yellow and crooked grin.

WHAT he wanted to say was: You ever heard of a dentist pall? But what he did say was "Detective Wolfe reservation," he said in an as friendly tone as he could muster.

"This isn't fair," A.J. muttered under his breath.

"If the room is as bug infested as this I may have to go dust off my old house," Ryan thought

"Rooms 49 and 50" the man said holding up the keys.

"Wonderful," Ryan muttered, "I ought to go AWOL in fact I am," he cheerfully addressed the man "on second thought cancel that." He said turning on his heel and walking out the door A.J. trailed behind him confused.

He walked out into the parking lot and found several people who looked, in his opinion, very much like car thieves eyeing the SU2 car.

"Hey beat it!" he yelled at them angrily.

He gave an annoyed snort as he watched the want-to-be car thieves scramble over themselves in their rush to escape his wrath. He mashed the unlock button and climbed into the drivers seat slamming the keys into the ignition. A.J. walked around the front of the car and hurriedly jumped in the passenger seat before he was left behind by the tired Ryan.

"Where are we going?" A.J. asked mildly

"Anywhere but here," Ryan growled refusing, after such a stressful day, to stay in a dump like this even if he had to pay for another room out of his own pocket. He sped out of the parking lot and onto the streets of Miami. When he saw a speed limit sign he forced himself to slow down he was doing 30 mph over that. A.J. stared out of the passenger side window looking bored every one drove like that in Chicago. After 15 minutes of driving (and cheating the speed limit a little) they came to the Freemont Hotel. It wasn't fancy BUT it was clean and pestles. They pulled up in a parking lot devoid of thieves and went inside. They walked across the roach-less floor and walked up to the rat-less desk and asked for two rooms. After shelling out $120 between the two off them they drug their suit cases to the rooms on the third floor. Ryan was about to walk into his room when he smelled a sickly sweet metallic swell. Blood!!!! He dropped his suitcase and pulled out his newly reloaded gun he took a deep breath and barged through the door. He was meeting by a bucketful of blood being dumped on his head. He came skidding to a stop and found himself staring himself in the face…staring hundreds of him in the face. His entire room was covered in posters…and blood. He stared at the opposite wall spray painted on it in black pain was this ominous message:

_You killed one of our brothers you will pay in blood for this…Detective Wolfe_

_-the Pack _

"Damn it!" he yelled angrily spiting blood out of his mouth uttering a silent prayer it wasn't human.

"What?" A.J. asked as he came running to help. He came through the door but slipped in the blood pool and ended up using the blood soaked floor like a demonic skip-n-slide. He ended up in the middle of the room staring at the message on the wall.

"Holy!" A.J. exclaimed

"Wrong direction there pall it's more like what the hell!!" Ryan said ripping one of the posters off the wall and looking at it. It declared Ryan Wolfe 2 mill. American dollars for his head "Oh joy," he thought "This was about to be simple.

_*** Well here's the next part I had so many direction this could go in… but I think I have it all planed out now. Oh… and SCHOOLS OUT!!!!!!!!!!! No more teachers!!! Especially glad to be ride of my old bat History teacher the replaced our old gay bartender one who always had a hangover( I kind of like him…) and I'm not exaggerating on this!!! Seriously ok he MAY not be gay but I can prove the bartender thing.**_


	7. Chapter 7

Natalia, Eric, and Calliegh were sitting in the break room taking a break from the morning's cases and talking about the Special Unit 2 detectives. There was a tension in the room Calliegh hadn't fully forgiven either of them, but she had less of a grudge toward Natalia

"Did you hear about poor Alex's run in with one of those killer dogs?" Calliegh said curtly to Natalia ignoring Eric.

"Yeah poor woman I feel kind if sorry for Ryan though," Natalia replied glancing at Eric hoping this statement wouldn't anger him…it did.

"What, how could you feel sorry for him, the Bastard…Nat!?" Eric protested indignantly

"Just think about it," she was quick to explain, "He wants to make it up to Alex so he takes her to a restaurant and ends up in the middle of a wolf attack turned shootout?"

"You're right," Calliegh realized, "but I guess that woman he saved is happy he was there."

"I heard he was attacked by a cameraman trying to confiscate footage," Eric said with a snicker.

"What!" Calliegh exclaimed forgetting she was ignoring him.

"Yeah I heard that young Detective giving him a hard time about it, have you noticed that kid trailing after Ryan like some sort of lost puppy?" Natalia said to Calliegh.

"Yeah I saw him; he looks like he really respects Ryan. Guess he's some sort of Rookie or something." Calliegh said

"Since when is Ryan able to train anybody on anything?" Eric complained, "He could barely manage to figure out how to do his own job when he was a CSI."

"Really? I thought I did a good job, and I know how to do my job, do you know how to do your's" came Ryan's icy voice from in the doorway. He was wearing a white suit jacket with a green button down shirt and blue jeans, and as expected the kid was there behind him in an orange T-shirt and black pants.

"Of course!" Eric protested

"Ryan," Calliegh started

"Good then you can do me a favor Natalia," he interrupted

"She doesn't owe you any favors Wolfe!" Eric barked

"Well then she can do it because it's her freaking job!" A.J. said crossly annoyed by his lack of sleep in the last 72 hours

"Test this and tell me if it's human or animal blood." Ryan stated throwing an evidence bag of the bloody shoes he was wearing yesterday to Natalia.

"What in the world?" she exclaimed

"Apparently some one is mad I killed their little pet." Ryan said wirily.

"I hate Miami," A.J. stated bluntly.

"Be nice!" Ryan said mildly

"I don't see why I should be nice…" A.J. muttered

"Captain Page?" Ryan offered yawning

"You two look tired." Calliegh said trying to defuse the situation

"I've had about five hours sleep in the last 72 hours." Ryan told her, "We went straight from an over night stake out to our plane to Miami I took a nap then. From there straight to the first crime scene then back to the lab, then to the restaurant which turned into a crime scene, than to my hotel room which is now a crime scene also for a rather dramatic and bloody death threat."

"Oh…I'm sorry" Calliegh said subdued

"Worse has happened, worse will happen comes with the territory," Ryan said shrugging

"Wait you've had death threats before?" Natalia asked shocked.

"Yeah like 31 I think," Ryan told them, "only three attempts though."

"Wait people had tried to kill you?" Natalia exclaimed.

"Well they obviously all failed no big deal," Ryan said shrugging again.

Just then A.J.'s phone rang he yanked it out of his pocket and answered it crossly.

"What!" he snapped, "…oh hi mom."

"Nice one," Ryan said snickering

A.J. didn't dignify that with a response he just took a dollar out of his wallet and bought a Hershey bar… and threw it at Ryan's head all while continuing a conversation with his mom.

"What the crap!" Ryan exclaimed "God, you're just as bad as Karl," throwing it back at A.J. hitting him right between the eyes.

"Don't compare me to Karl," A.J. protested

"I'll compare you to Karl if I want to! You're both short and annoying!" Ryan said walking past him and out of the room.

"Bye mom," A.J. said into the phone grabbing the candy bar off the floor and following Ryan.

Calliegh stared after them for a moment before getting up and following them out. "Wait Ryan," she called. Ryan stopped waving A.J. foreword, and turned around to meet her.

"What's up?" he asked looking slightly concerned.

"I want to apologize…for last time. I never should've listened to Eric. Can you forgive me?" she said anxiously look up at his face trying to gauge his reaction.

He just laughed. "Calliegh you're already forgiven. You just did what you thought was best. I can understand that, besides who's petty enough to hold a grudge for a year." He gave her a broad grin.

"Thanks… but I still feel bad. Can I take you out for a drink?" she asked returning his smile.

"If you pay… What in the world!" he exclaimed startled looking at something over her shoulder. She glanced over her shoulder and gasped at the most unwelcome sight she quickly turned back to Ryan tears brimming in her eyes.

"Um…" Ryan started his mouth gaping open. He quickly shut it. He couldn't believe his eyes! Natalia was happily kissing Delko in the break room seemingly oblivious to the glass walls. "I guess Stetler's revised his dating in the lab policy?" he said stupidly because he didn't know what else to say. He shouldn't have said anything because Calliegh burst out crying. "Whoa, what's the matter?" he asked then he remembered Eric and Calliegh had been dating. "Oh… I'm sorry I shouldn't have said anything."

"Why are you apologizing?" she asked through her tears, "This is all Eric."

"Doesn't mean I can't feel bad." He said gently wiping her tears off her face with his hand.

"Why does he do that? With me standing right here. Aren't I good enough for him?" She said trying to stop crying.

"I don't know about that, but I do think you need to forget about him and find someone better." Ryan told her. "You still owe me that drink." He said taking a couple of steps back, " Hey I've got to go case's to work, bad guys to catch, shoot outs to get caught up in, heck I got to be a dog catcher to boot." He said turning to leave.

"See you after work… um I know this little bar just outside city limits they serve food." She said

"Awesome." He said winking. He turned around and walked off down the hallway. He went over to the lab that he and A.J. were using. The glass walls had black plastic over them so that their confidential matters could stay that way.

"So who was that an old girlfriend?" A.J. said teasingly

"Do you ever shut up!?" Ryan complained

"Shut up? What's that mean?" He said trying to look innocent

"What ever, look you get on the tooth we found at the first crime scene and the Werewolf I killed see if it's the same one." Ryan said.

"Why? We already know there's more than one, you know The Pack, plural, more than one." A.J. said.

"Yeah, but I want to know if I can charge someone living with murder." Ryan said.

"Oh I get it, but what're you going to do?" A.J. asked.

"I'm going to see if I can get a face off of the footage from the restaurant for Mr. Machine Gun." Ryan told him.

"Ugh staring at a computer screen." A.J. said.

"We all know you're not tech savvy." Ryan said teasingly walking over to the computer.

It was hours after she had gotten the shoes to test. She'd gotten the results it was animal blood. Pig to be more exact, she was walking over to the Special Unit 2 area to give the results to Ryan when she ran into Eric.

"Hey baby." He said, "What're you doing tonight?"

"For you?" she said teasingly "I don't have any plans."

"What're you doing?" he asked

"Oh getting the results to Ryan," she told him.

"Great can I come with you?" Eric said following her.

"Sure why?" she said glad of the company.

"I want to know what those Special Unit 2 people are up to." He told her.

"Eric!" she protested "This is a bad idea. You're going to get caught."

"Whatever," he said as they came to the glass door with the black plastic covering it from the inside. He knocked on the door. "Hey Wolfe" he called no answer.

"Maybe he can't hear you," Natalia offered

"Ryan!" he called, "I'm going to go in," he told her.

"No!" she said, "You'll get in trouble we're supposed to stay out of there."

"He'll be glad to get his results," he reassured her. He entered the room looking around cautiously. He smiled at what he saw Ryan was asleep in front of a computer. He was slacking and it was a perfect time to look at what he was working on. He carefully crept up behind Ryan and looked at what was on the computer. He was shocked Ryan had been looking at a freeze frame for a piece of video he'd confiscated from the cameraman, but what was shocking wasn't that Ryan's gun was drawn and that there were bullet holes in the jacket he was wearing or the man with the machine gun, it was the giant wolf. "So this is what they're hiding" he though gleefully. He spotted the original footage on the desk. "Since he's already uploaded it to the computer he won't need it and it can be my proof," he thought grabbing it and putting it under his jacket. He quickly exited the room and grabbed Natalia's arm gently leading her off down the hall.

"Wait where are we going?" she asked "What about the results?"

"Give them to him later this is bigger," he told her showing her the tape.

"You stole evidence!" she said shocked.

"Relax he had another copy, and this is big they're hiding something big. The entire Special Unit 2 is trust me!" he said excitedly he knew Ryan was up to no good!  
People don't change.

_*** thanks for the reviews! It's so encouraging. I hope you like the chapter. **_


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry about the little mix up here's the real chapter eight**

Calliegh was nervous as she went to get Ryan so they could go to the bar. "Calm down girl," she told herself, "It's just a couple of drinks between friends that's all, or is it?" She got a mental image of those kind green eyes, and that self-assured smile he seemed to always wear these days. It was like a cross between the shy, kind newbie he'd been when he'd first started working at CSI, and the confident, but arrogant person he'd been when he'd left. When we made him leave, she felt terrible and his easy forgiveness hadn't made her feel any better. She took a deep breath as she saw the blacked off lab, she composed herself. She put on her trade mark cheerful smile and walked up to the door. She gave a slight frown when she saw that the door was ajar. The couple of times she'd walked past the door it's been firmly shut. Of course it made since. Who'd go through all the trouble to black out the windows, but leave the door gapping open for everyone to see in? She walked up and knocked on the door but there was no response.

"Ryan? Ryan, you there?" she asked…still no answer. She was getting worried. "Now really," she reassured, "What could've happened to them in the middle of the crime lab." She guessed he was just shaken up about the death threat. She was used to Ryan being the one who got himself into trouble, but he needed someone like Horatio to get him out. Not someone who could take care of himself, but apparently he could now, and keep an eye on a rookie too. She decided no one would get too mad if she stuck her head in the doorway what kind of confidential evidence could she really see from doing that. She peered around the door at laughed at Ryan who'd fallen asleep at the computer, no doubt, working not so tirelessly on his case.

"Hey Ryan, Ryan baby…"she broke off embarrassed it'd just slipped out! He's just looked so serene and peaceful lying there, and she had to admit it was kind of cute.

"You looking for Ryan, miss?" She heard a voice out of no where. She spun around and found herself face to face with that rookie detective.

"You scared me! And yes I am," she answered relieved

"Sorry, I'm Detective Dinozzo. I'll get him." He replied politely with a cheerful smile even with the dark spots under his eyes. He slipped past her and frowned at the open door.

"Did you open this?" A.J. asked in as friendly of a voice as someone who hasn't slept in 3 days could manage.

"No, it was open, Why?" she asked

"Because it was shut when I left if someone went in I'm dead." He said only half kidding.

"What're you talking about?" Calliegh asked confused

"I'm saying that if my boss finds out I left a roomful of sensitive, confidential evidenced unlocked with just a sleeping guy to watch it I'm going to be in so much trouble." He said grimacing he could only imagine what Captain Page would do… dock his pay. It was even worse than unpaid leave! He still had to do the work he just didn't get the money.

"The door probably just swung open or something." Calliegh told him.

"Hopefully," he said chuckling "Let's just go with that," he though unenthusiastically. He walked through the door and yanked the rolling chair out from under Ryan as he walked past.

"What the…A.J.!!!" Ryan yelled crossly from his new position on the floor. "Will you freaking quit it!"

"I'll quit when you quit falling asleep." A.J. told Ryan turning to the fuming chamber, "Here we go fuming death threat poster # 57, How come I fell I got cheated here?"

"Uh… because you got cheated," Ryan said, "Oh hey Calliegh."

"You ready to go?" She asked.

"Yeah, just let me log in this evidence…where's the evidence?" He said looking around on the desk.

"What are you talking about?" A.J. said worried

"I had the footage from the Restaurant attack on the desk and it's not there now." Ryan explained looking around on the floor.

"Did you download it to the computer?" A.J. asked

"Yeah, but it's still confidential evidence that we need to find or it's compromised." Ryan explained

A.J. glanced at Calliegh who was standing in the doorway, "you know what, you go out for your drink and I'll find the tape."

Ryan stood up and relieved, "Fine, but if you haven't found it by the time I get back you're going to the hotel and I'm looking for the tape."

"Deal," A.J. said pushing him toward the door, "have fun you two."

"Okay, know you need to shut up!" Ryan said looking at him in mock horror.

"Just get out of here, no one wants to see your ugly mug anymore," A.J. replied laughing.

"See you, Dinozzo," Ryan called over his shoulder as he turned to leave

"Later Wolfe," A.J. answered as he started to look for the missing evidence while working the fuming chamber, a multitasking miracle that only someone of his skill level and talent could manage without screwing up either.

Ryan broke out into a broad grin, which Calliegh returned with a small smile, as she met him in the doorway.

"Do you always fall asleep while processing evidence?" she teased as they started to walk off down the hallway toward the lobby.

"No in Chicago I make a lab tech do it and take a nap on the couch in the break room," he answered

"What happened to doing your own work?" she asked smiling

"When did I ask for 23 hour work days?" he retorted

They walked the rest of the way out into the parking lot in comfortable silence. Ryan relished the sensation of the cool night air on his face as he took a deep breath of the dense, humid Miami air. On the list of things he'd missed about this city the Miami night ranked pretty high. Although he had to admit he'd been enjoying the white winter in Chicago a lot more than the Miami winter that could be mistaken for summer. It was strange to find him self going from refereeing a snowball war for the neighborhood kids to perfect beach weather in a matter of days.

"…mine or your's?" Calliegh's sweet voice with her delightful southern accent broke through his musings

"Excuse me?" he said startled

"Don't fall asleep on me!" she teased, "Do you want to take my car or your car to the bar?"

"Oh do you still have that truck?" he asked his eyes narrowed in suspicion

"yes, why?" she asked confused

"your driving with those worn out shocks um no thanks! I'm driving!!" he told her pulling out the keys.

"And why are you going to drive?" she said in mock offence "Is my driving that bad?"

"No…I mean I wouldn't call it bad just…uh…manic. Besides the insurance wouldn't cover you." He stuttered ending in a small goofy grin while mentally cursing himself.

"So, you're saying I'm going to crash it?" she said flirting with him.

"No, I'm just saying its next technically not mine and… maybe," he said trying to regain his composure, but she was making it almost impossible. With her there it was hard to think straight or maybe that was too little sleep and too much coffee. It'd be just his luck to have that kick in right about now. Either way it was making him look like an idiot and he didn't need much help with that.

She laughed "come on lets go."

Ryan let out a sigh of relief that this conversation was over. Being a Werewolf didn't make him any better with women. He clicked the unlock button on his keys and held the passenger door open for Calliegh. She got in and he walked around the car and got into the drivers seat and cranked up the car.

"So where are we going?" he asked.

She chuckled, "just take the highway out of town."

"Got it." He said pulling out of the parking spot. He pulled out on to the road and headed toward the highway. He reached over and turned on the radio he scowled and adjusted the knobs trying to pick up a station…any station. Since the car was set for Chicago it took him half a minutes worth of silent frustration he managed to pick up a station just as they started playing 1234 by The Plain White T's. It was about two seconds after he'd cranked the engine that he'd realized what a bad idea taking his car had been an even worse idea than trying to survive Calliegh's driving. He'd forgotten to consider the fact they had hid his and A.J.'s SU2 blasters, (the conventional SU2 gun that had the firepower loaded with the right rounds to takedown any Link imaginable…but subtle it was not. It was hard to claim you we normal when you were waving around something right out of a science fiction novel!) In a secret compartment under the passenger seat. Not to mention the several manuals of Werewolves, Gargoyles, Chupacabras, Pixies, Gnomes, Trolls, Elemental Spirits, and the rest of them littered the back seat along with his torn, stained, and faded leather jacket and, ugh, A.J.'s stupid "Lucky" fedora (it's lucky powers could be debated, Ryan himself had serious doubts as to it's power although A.J. swore by it). Finally he managed to get to the bar while successful keeping her from noticing all the weird crap that was lying around the car. He gave a relieved sigh when he turned off the engine, and started to open the car door. When his consistent bad luck would have it Calliegh glanced into the back seat.

"What is this?" she asked reaching back to grab something.

Ryan desperately tried to think up a plausible explanation to whatever had caught her attention.

"Is this yours?" she asked holding up the fedora.

"That's A.J.'s" he said relieved. "It's his lucky hat."

She laughed, "Seriously? Does it work?"

"I just say the little redheaded midget is lucky with or without the hat." He answered.

"And this?" she said pointing to the jacket.

"That… is undeniably mine." He said.

"You, Wearing leather, this I've got to see." She said flirting with him again making him blush.

"Fine," he said taking off his suit jacket and putting on the leather one.

He felt the urge to blush again as she looked him up and down.

"It looks good," she said "it a little… ratty though."

"Why does everyone always say that?" he complained

"Its looks like someone ripped it in half and then you got it sown back together." She said

"It may have been ripped apart at some point, and yes it has been sown back together again, but it still good!" he protested.

Sure, Ryan, sure, she said getting out of the car.

Ryan got up and followed her glancing at the bar it was your typical quaint redneck establishment, but not the kind of redneck bar that'd break into an all out brawl at any moment. A nice restaurant/bar type establishment, he and Calliegh walked through the double swinging doors into the place and walked up to the bar and sat down near the wall. The bartender came over and asked them for they're orders.

"Just a cheeseburger and a glass of scotch." Calliegh told him.

"Hamburger and a Budweiser." Ryan said.

"Gott'cha," the waiter replied.

"So I was wondering what's with the um… scar on your face?" Calliegh asked once they got they're orders sipping her drinks.

"Oh I got attacked by a dog," he told her holding up his hand to show her the scars on his palms.

"You mean like…" she started to ask.

"Yes I mean like a man eating one. They're becoming alarmingly common." He informed her.

"Wow." She exclaimed. "Special Unit 2 must be something."

"Yeah I really love it there, everybody's really nice we get on each others nerves a lot, but I can't even remember the last fight, well except Karl everyone would love to kill him but he's a thief ,literally, he's an informant, but unfortunately he's extremely usefully so we can't just throw him in jail."

"Guess you're not missing CSI that much." She said.

"I miss it sometimes." He told her truthfully. "I swear though you've never seen as much snow as they get up there."

"Probably, not," she said with a small laugh. "I've only been up north once or twice in the summer."

"You should go during winter sometime nothing like it," he told her.

"Is there a lot of snow?" she asked

"Yeah, but the neighbor kids might jump you and almost bury you in cross fire in they're ongoing snowball war and then drag you into refereeing until you have to go to work." He answered.

"I take it this has happened?" she said laughing.

"Repeatedly, little hoodlums." He said laughing too.

"Ryan! Ryan Wolfe!" exclaim an all too familiar voice.

"Jake Berkley," he hissed under his breath his voice seething with dislike. He'd hated this jerk and the way he'd treated Calliegh…you know not like it'd bothered him or anything…heh. He turned around to look and Berkley looked pissed, but it wasn't at him.

"What are you Calliegh a slut," Jake yelled angrily. "First Eric and now this loser!"

Ryan wrinkled his nose in disgust Jake reeked of alcohol and it stung his sensitive nose, "Why don't just go sit down and make sure you don't drive." He told Jake tartly just as Calliegh was about to burst into tears.

"Why don't you shut up you little bitch, or do you need some money 'cause you gamboled all yours away?" Jake said practically falling down drunk. "Besides Calliegh's mine, she always has been mine."

"Calliegh doesn't belong to anyone Berkley; go check your self into rehab." Ryan said angrily. Jake was pissing him off if he wasn't careful he'd be heading toward and ass kicking he didn't care how drunk the man was, but he really didn't want to be charged with assault so he'd have to be clever about it, but he had a least two different tricks up his sleeves, metaphorically of course, for that. "Or better yet go jump in your car and wrap yourself around a tree I'd bet that would make a lot of people happy." Ryan said turning back around. He sighed and glanced at the bartender and mouthed counting to five then ducked just as Jake's fist whistled past his head slamming into the wall with an audible crack.

"Ooh, that sounded like it hurt! You should get a doctor to look at that. I think it might be broken." Ryan said his voice dripping concern but with a mocking edge while what he was thinking was "ha, fell for it sucker!" he slipped off the bar stool and got out his wallet although he would've LOVED to trick Berkley into hurting himself some more he didn't have any time to waste "come one Calliegh let's go." He sidestepped a tackle from Berkley, which sent Berkley flying into a table which pissed off two very big bicker types I geuss his time in undercover helped him after all he knows what to expect, and pulled out two 20's "keep the change," he told the bartender. He helped Calliegh up form her seat, skirting the brawl that Berkley was loseing, and led her out the door to the parking lot.

"You okay?" he asked her genteelly unlocking the car and opening the door for her to get in.

"Yeah, thanks for being such a gentleman Ryan," she said trying to hold back her tears.

"I don't know what you see in that Alcoholic," Ryan muttered angrily visualizing ripping Jake's head off quite gleefully.

"I'm fine." She said still trying to fight back tears.

"You don't sound okay." He said

"Just drive." She snapped.

"All right," he said pulling away. "Note to self BEG Captain Page to never send me to Miami ever again." He thought ruefully pulling out of the parking lot and getting back on the highway. He was never as relieved as when he got back to the Lab and Calliegh got out of the car a victim of his usual bad luck, but then that other annoying thing that kept getting him into trouble surfaced…Guilt even when it wasn't his fault. He sighed and got out of the car and put himself right in the line of fire…once again… "Calliegh…uh sorry about the whole umm… Jake calling you a…well you know…uhh…I'm just going to shut up now."

"Its fine it's not you're fault, see you tomorrow." She said sighing.

"See you," he said locking the car and going up and entering the lab that was now occupied by the night shift. He walked into the room sighing.

"Didn't go well," A.J. asked sounding cheerful because he was finally done with fuming although he still hadn't located the evidence, but he was never one to let details get him down.

"We ran into her drunken ex." He explained just as A.J. sighed and tried to get in one last good look for the evidence before Ryan made him go home.

"I hate Miami!" they both complained at the same time.

_***Sorry it took so long to update, hope you like the new chapter!**_

_**-Ryanfan14 **_


	9. Chapter 9

Calliegh was coming back to the lab after the disastrous night before. Stupid Jake always screwing things up Ryan probably wouldn't want anything to do with her anymore. Then Ryan had been pretty quick to pick a fight…if you could call Jake knocking himself on his ass a fight. It mad her giggle just to think about it Jake "Bad boy" Berkley shown up by no-so-little-anymore Wolfe.

She walked into the lab, taking a deep breath before purpose fully taking the route that would take her past the Special Unit 2 area, just as she passed the door Ryan exited.

"Oh hey," he said.

"Hey you're in early," she said

"Ugh, I wish I haven't left yet." He replied rolling his eyes.

"How can you stand to be up for so long?" she said getting tired just thinking about it.

"Practice, Captain Page has a "You don't get to sleep until you solve my case or you keel over" policy" he explained.

"He sounds mean." She told him

"Nah, a lot of our cases are races against time to save a life, like this one more people are gonna die if we can't find these mutts and the people behind them." Ryan said good naturedly defending his boss.

"You find that missing evidence." She questioned trying to get around to what she really wanted to ask

"No, we looked everywhere someone took it." He answered

"My god!" she exclaimed.

"I'm just going to warn Horatio." He told her

"Warn him about what?" she asked.

"That I'm gonna have to report it missing and heads are gonna roll." He explained

"About last night…what happened with Jake." She started

"What happened with Jake?" he asked with a good natured smile "See? Already forgotten."

"Thanks," she said smiling.

"You're welcome," he said walking off preoccupied he was trying to think of anyone, anyone at all who would've stole his evidence…and why? Proving him wrong, Being the hero, wait being the hero…Delko!!" he turned on his heel and went looking for Delko recovering the evidence first would most certainly at least quiet if not calm the storm that would be a pissed of Captain Page. He stormed into the crime lab, and looked through the glass walls, but he couldn't find him so he poked his head into DNA lab to talk to Natalia.

"Seen CSI Delko?" he asked his eyes narrowed in suspicion while he fought to stay professional.

"No," Natalia said guilt and worry flashing across her face.

"Bingo," he thought "Well can you tell him that I want the evidence he took from me and to give it back because other wise I'm going to have to get a warrant, and my boss is probably going to after his badge."

"H-h-how'd you know," she stuttered.

"I didn't until you told me," he answered with a smile walking out of the lab to head in the direction of Horatio once more as lab techs started to poke their heads out of their respective labs, he almost ran into Brett and Greg as he rounded the corner which he really should've been able to avoid

Since the corner was made of two glass walls, but he was too tired and pissed it was ridiculous. Technically Werewolves didn't need sleep he'd once gone without sleep for two mouths though the mental state he's been in before he finally passed out was questionable.

"Sorry" He grunted annoyed

"No," Brett started

"Problem," Greg finished

Ryan laughed "you know that's creepy right?"

"Why does" "Everyone say that?" they asked switching back and forth

Ryan just laughed and walked past them, as they stared after him he heard them mumble something underneath their breaths, that he shouldn't have been able to hear but they weren't counting Werewolf hearing.

"Schizophrenic"

"Much?"

"THEY think I'M crazy? Now I know I've seen it all!" he though lightly as he veered toward Horatio's office.

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Natalia was in a panic. She should've known that Ryan would find out, she never should've listened to Eric's stupid plan. She had made her decision, this had gone too far. Calming herself she flipped open her phone and called Eric.

"Where are you Sweetie?" she cooed knowing he'd had the day off and most likely using it to pry into Ryan's business.

"14 Magnolia Rd" His voice came through the speaker humming with an undercurrent of excitement.

"WHAT!!" she asked alarmed that was out in the glades what was he doing there?

"I got a name off the tape, and an address."

"YOU DID WHAT!!!" she yelled startling the entire lab as Ryan's head poked back around the corner he'd just disappeared behind. She calmed down and whispered into the phone "do you realize that you could be compromising the case. Ryan knows Eric he warned that his boss might go after your BADGE Eric your badge."

Eric just snorted "Yeah right if he can get away with evidence tampering I can get away with this to prove he's dirty."

"What if he's not dirty though Eric? What if you're wrong? Can you get that through your thick Cuban skull!!?" She yelled slamming her phone shut.

"Mind telling me what that was about?" Ryan's voice came from behind her as he nonchalantly leaned against the doorframe slightly disappointed that he'd only managed to catch the tail end of the incriminating phone call

"Eric took your video" she blurted out.

"Yeah that I knew where is it?"

"He got an address from it!"

"WHAT!!" Came Ryan's outraged voice. "Where is he Natalia?" Ryan said his voice low and anxious his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"14 Magnolia Dr."

"Rat bastard!" he cursed as he realized with horror that Delko had located and walked right into the lion's den or rather wolf's den, He'd found The Pack. "Damn Delko he's going to get himself freaking killed!!"

"KILLED!!" Natalia yelled on the verge of hysteria.

Ryan didn't answer he just bolted from the room running to retrieve his gun, he pulled out his phone and called A.J. growing more and more aggravated at every passing second without an answer. When A.J. finally did groggily answer his phone Ryan was in a full blown angry frenzy.

"whaaayouwantWolfe" A.J. slurred

"Get your ass over here we have a situation." Ryan hissed violently yanking on his jacket, and starting for the lab parking lot.

"Sit-che-ation?" A.J. muttered still sleepy accompanied with a loud bang from his end of the phone as he scrambled around his hotel room.

"We've found The Pack but so has Delko!!" Ryan clarified checking his gun as he walked.

A.J. dissolved into his own fit of cussing accompanied by a door slamming then a car starting. "Be there soon." He said fully awake now.

Ryan hung up as he stormed past the shocked detectives at their desks out into the lobby.

"MAKE IT!! GOTTA MAKE IT!!" he though fiercely.

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_**Ha-ha, evil cliffy yes I know and sorry for writing such a short chapter, but I was press ganged into Poetry camp ( which was surprisingly fun by the way) and another idea just popped into my random head and wouldn't go away so I had to write it to get it to leave me alone**_

_**Me: Happy now?**_

_**Voice in my head: yes!**_

_**Me: Good!**_

_**Anyway check out my new funny fic please *sighs* damn I hate the idea fairies sometimes why can't I come up with new brilliant ideas AFTER I've finished my other ones oh well but I won't forget this fic!!**_


	10. Chapter 10

Eric stood outside the warehouse at 14 Magnolia Rd; he took a deep breath whatever Wolfe was hiding…was in there. Natalia's word flashed back into his mind.

_His boss might go after your BADGE Eric your badge._

_What if he's not dirty though Eric? What if you're wrong?_

He shook his head to free himself from those thoughts he couldn't doubt himself now he had to go foreword. He slowly crept foreword. He could hear the low roaring hum coming from the close by highway.

No turning back now

He cautiously pulled at the door of the warehouse; he was surprised when it opened. He gave a cocky smile if they were too stupid to lock it… he'd just go right in. He opened the door a crack and drew his weapon. No sense in taking unneeded risks. He took two steps into the room, and nothing he exhaled as he realized he'd been holding his breath. Maybe he was at the wrong place there was no barking like you'd expect from anywhere that was serving as a kennel.

"You must really have a death wish."

He swung around but no one was there. "Miami PD come out where I can see you" he yelled keeping his gun at the ready.

"You're so pathetic I could cry," came the mocking voice again this time it registered as female.

"Ma'am show your self or I'll have to shoot!" He yelled getting nervous as he spun around yet again trying to locate her.

"Your little toy is a joke, I don't smell any silver. Though you could bluff your way through us did you? Or do you have any clue at all what you're dealing with?"

"I'm warning you! I don't want to kill you!" he yelled but he could hear his voice cracking as he was fought not to be at overwhelmed by the unexplainable terror he suddenly felt. Every fiber of his being was screaming at him to run away. He told himself that he was being stupid there was nothing to fear, he had the situation under control. Then why did he feel so damn weak and vulnerable? He couldn't even see this woman whoever she was wherever she was.

"You kill me? What a joke." Came the mocking voice again this time he realized where it was coming from. What the Hell? He jerked his head upward, it was impossible, but they say seeing is believing so why was he seeing it yet still couldn't believe it. She was hanging upside down from one of the steel beams that held the ceiling up, her brown hair handing down as she fixed him with her steely blue eyes an amused smile on her face looking like being suspended upside down was the easiest thing in the world. Her feet braced against the beam and her hands clutching the sides of it holding her up…he couldn't believe it.

"W-w-what…who a-a-re you!" he stuttered as he felt his chest constrict as a new wave of fear washed over him. "Oh god what've I gotten myself into" was the only though that came to mind.

"Who am I...? Hrmm doesn't matter you're about to die anyway…as for what. At the moment I'm your worst nightmare." And with that she pushed of with her feet swinging to hang vertically before gracefully dropping to the floor. Landing the 10 foot something drop like she only fallen a couple feet with an air of nonchalance.

Eric pointed his gun at her and pulled the trigger it struck her in the shoulder and went through the other side. He smirked thinking that he could handle this crazy bitch, but the he realized to his horror that the gun shot wound …was healing. The muscles and skin had already started to kit themselves back together. That was enough for him, he dropped the gun and bolted for the door, but a second person stepped out of the shadows and blocked his way.

"Quit playing with your food and kill it" The new comer said in a stern voice. His black hair was cropped shot and his bright green eyes shone through his dark bangs.

"K-k-kill me? I-I-I'm a Cop." Eric stuttered trying to back away from the black haired man only to realize that it only put him closer to the woman.

"I don't give a shit that you are. You're a weak spineless human; you overrun this earth like rats bringing a plague. You think you are superior to all life but you yourselves are so pathetically inferior and it's time we take what is ours by right of nature." The man answered

"What is your right?" Eric asked regaining some of his composure while trying to stall so he could come up with some sort of plan.

"Everything! We were not made superior to hide among the commoners. This world is our by divine right! Why else would we have been gifted with power enough to take it? Our time has come a new age is dawning!" The man shouted his voice rising to a fevered pitch.

"You do realize that you just told him our entire plan right Xavier?" the woman asked sounding slightly annoyed.

"Why not he can't stop us Ella." Xavier replied.

"No but we don't want him to find a way to tell anyone as we rip him limb from limb now do we? It wouldn't do to have a certain detective find out now would it? We'd lose the element of surprise, it he underestimates us as mere rouges we can easily kill him and have him out of the way." Ella answers

"And once that traitor Detective Wolfe is out of the way… no one can stop us!" Xavier finished his eyes shining. "But I still don't see why we didn't just kill him instead of warning him with the death message and that we've put a bounty one his head even though I fully intent to rip him apart myself for what he did to Severious."

"Wait, why is Wolfe a traitor to you! Is he in on this?" Eric asked hearing what could prove he was right. The Cuban was like a dog with a bone once he set out to do something he didn't let go.

"Because we want him to be nervous, and I'm not certain you could've killed him. He took down Severious he is not to be taken lightly…and as for your question human it is because he is one of us yet he chooses to go against nature and divine providence and fight on the side of humans!" Ella answered.

"One of you? What are you?" Eric yelled panicking again. He couldn't understand any of this…but the kept saying humans and one of us…. What was going on?

"Like I said before your worst nightmare, a new age is about to crash down on you and wash away the old, this is only the calm before the storm. We must prepare for the dawning of the new age, and to ensure the new age Ryan Wolfe and the rest of Special Unit 2 must die for they are your countries first and only defense again our kind." Ella answered

"Your time is up pray to whatever false god of humans you choose to believe in. Your death is neigh." Xavier said taking a threatening step foreword

"This has gone far enough." came a familiar voice from behind all of them. Ryan stepped from the shadow's he'd been hiding in watching the confrontation unfold.

"Wolfe!!" Eric exclaimed.

Ryan stood there head held high but inside his thoughts we racing as he reevaluated the situation. Fact one: These we no rouges, Fact two: they wanted to get Special Unit 2 out of the way, Fact three: they claimed to bring a new age, and Fact four: he was alone he'd gotten out of the car as soon as they were away from prying eyes and morphed and had run here as the proverbial crow flies before morphing back a half mile away before circling around and approaching from upwind so as to have the element of surprise.

He also realized that he had to make this the final showdown between himself and The Pack, what ever new age they were trying to usher in could be stopped or at least stalled if he defeated them here.

Delko or no Delko failure was no longer an option.

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**Like it? Hate it? Who exactly are the pack and what is their new age? Read and find out!! Oh and please review reviews make me very happy!!**


	11. Chapter 11

_He also realized that he had to make this the final showdown between himself and The Pack, what ever new age they were trying to usher in could be stopped or at least stalled if he defeated them here._

_Delko or no Delko failure was no longer an option._

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A moment's hesitation could mean life or death, a single mistake could cost him his life, but he could tell the stakes were a lot higher than that. He stood to lose a lot more than his own life. A storm was brewing and this moment could make the difference between it being just a summer rain…or a full fledged hurricane. It was up to him he could not, would not fail. He didn't know all the details, but he knew enough. Knew enough to know that it had to be stopped, knew enough to be able to tell that this so called "New age" they were trying to bring would involve the slaughtering of innocents, he knew enough to know that he had to stop it here and now.

He took stock of the situation. Two suspects, a woman closest to him, and a man farthest from him with Delko sandwiched in the middle. This wasn't good there was no way he'd be able to get to Delko first if the man decided to take a go at him. He wouldn't be able to stop this from turning into a hostage situation…or worse. The only solution, try to keep them talking while he circled around.

"You think you can change the world? You think you can bring a new age? You're Naïve and stupid. Our kind has power yes it's true, but we're not gods. We have no right to shape this world how we wish it to be. That is up to humanity as a whole. It's up to many voices blending together as one. No individual or group can change the world, but one individual can bring an incredible amount of pain and suffering, and that is all you will do." He said as he slowly, fluidly crept around in a semi-circle until he was standing to the left of Delko and he stopped grateful that they didn't realize what game he was playing. He could tell they were only half listening to him, probably analyzing him trying to figure him out. Trying to come up with their own battle strategies.

He briefly considered pulling out his gun, which would've been the best course of action giving him the tactical advantage except for one very important and annoying factor in this whole business, a certain Jackass Cuban named Delko. Who put him at a tactical disadvantage and canceled out any advantage a gun would have because you couldn't protect someone with a gun, at least not against a werewolf even with silver bullets.

There was only one answer…an all out brawl with Delko, preferably, as far away from the action as possible.

He leapt foreword and in one fluid motion he covered the distance and he placed his left foot on Delko's chest and pushed of with all he had sending Delko flying out of the way, before using the momentum to gracefully turn a back flip before landing lightly where Delko had just been standing. The two other werewolves leapt at him and he managed to catch them both by the throats.

"And what ever this new age of yours is I'm going to stop it, here and now." He snarled before hurling them both backward the man, Xavier, slammed back against the doors to the warehouse flying through them and the woman, Ella, came to a skidding stop on the warehouse floor.

"What the Hell!" Delko yelled as he started to get to his feet.

"Stay out of the way!" Ryan yelled at him as Ella and Xavier started to get up. Xavier ran at him and Ryan ran to meet him, Ryan swung his right foot into Xavier's ribcage with bone crushing force sending him flying back through the doors. He slammed the warehouse doors and locked them, they wouldn't hold for long but hopefully that coupled with the time it would take the two broken ribs he'd just given Xavier to heal would buy him enough time to knock out Ella.

He whirled around just in time to duck under a kick aimed at his head, he swung a fist at her head but it glanced of the arm she'd raised to block it. He followed up with a roundhouse kick but that was blocked by Ella pulling her knees up to her chest. His foot connected with her shin instead of her stomach and sent her flying backward unharmed as she gracefully landed in a crouch.

"Think you can stop me? I'm not like Severious or Xavier." She taunted

"I'll make sure not to underestimate you." Ryan snarled back. Damn it, if he couldn't finish her off he'd end up with 2 to 1 odds again.

"You already have" she answered took a sudden run in Delko's direction just as the warehouse doors behind him was knocked of its hinges and Xavier came flying through them to land on Ryan's back getting him in a chokehold. Ryan gagged and spluttered as his air way was completely shut off, he couldn't breath and more importantly he couldn't get to Delko. He slammed his elbow into Xavier's face. Once, twice, three times reducing the other man's face to a bloody pulp breaking his nose and most likely crushing his cheekbone too. He then grabbed the arm that was hooked under his chin and flipped the other man off of him sending him slamming into the ground. He braced on foot against Xavier's shoulder and then violently twisted the other man's arm out of its socket. After all it didn't mater which one he rendered incapable of fighting he just needed to even the odds, and he knew that while breaks might heal, if not completely, to a manageable level in a short amount of time dislocations did not first you had to pop the bone back into it's rightful place and more often than not you ended up causing yourself more damage.

"Impressive showing, Detective." Came a new slightly mocking voice the sound of clapping ringing in Ryan's ears at he looked up to confront the new threat. Two more men were standing in perched on the steel cross beams. Damn how many people were hiding up there? This whole place reeked so bad of werewolf that he could hardly pick out his own scent much less pick out what scents were old and which werewolves were in the warehouse at the moment.

He immediately recognized Mr. Machine Gun from the restaurant, but that wasn't who had spoken, no a tall, lean brunette was the one who had spoken. Ryan immediately tensed his gut was telling him this man was not to be taken lightly, and he always listened to his gut it'd never been wrong before.

"You're behind this aren't you," he stated rather than asked.

"How very perceptive of you, Detective however you would be wrong. I am in charge of our operations in Miami but I am not our leader." The man answered. "And please call me Samuel"

"Fine Sammy so your Miami operations? Where else exactly do you operate?" Ryan asked fishing for information.

"Did you really expect me to fall for that?" Samuel asked amused.

"Not really but I'm already winging it so what the hell." Ryan answered glancing over to where Delko was. It didn't look reassuring, Delko was backed up against the wall of the warehouse Ella hovering predatorily over him. "Do we really need to have that idiot caught up in all this?"

"Sorry, lose ends and all that." Samuel answered leaping down from the rafters before landing gracefully a few feet in front of Ryan "Why do you care?"

"It's my job to care." Ryan answered solemnly "Plus I know a certain blonde who's quite fond of him."

"Miss Duquesne?" Samuel asked smugly Ryan tensed and lunged at him.

"Bastard, Stay away from her!" he snarled bringing his fist back to throw a punch. He was so angry that he didn't think about whether it was a good move. He didn't stop to consider the danger. He just wanted to kill the person who would dare mention Calliegh, and he wanted to do it now.

That was the biggest mistake he could have made, he should have recognized the signs, seen the trap, but emotions have a funny way of overriding reason. Fights are won not by though who are strongest as by popular opinion although it certainly doesn't hurt; no battles are won by those who can outsmart their opponent. And Ryan Wolfe was just outsmarted, big time.

One second his arm was swinging toward Samuel's face, the next it was twisted behind him. He swung his right arm blindly behind him, trying to hit Samuel. His arm swished through the air meeting nothing.

"Temper, Temper," came Samuel's mocking voice from over his shoulder.

"Go to hell!" Ryan snarled his own words echoing in his ears reminded him of that fateful day that for him was both a beginning an end. An apocalypse and a Sabbath, the day it all fell apart, yet the puzzle pieces finally clicked together.

He'd left Miami a failure, but he'd thought he'd left all that behind. Like a snake shedding, a caterpillar leaving its cocoon to become a butterfly, like a hawk taking flight for the first time.

Now he was back to this….a failure…Why'd it always have to come back to this?

"_He could feel everyone's eyes on him as he handled Sergeant Stettler his badge and gun. The only two objects that had any meaning in his life more than the cards, more than the betting slips…no matter what everyone else seemed to think. The room was strangely silent as his world crashed down around him…"_

"_A blinding haze of pain surrounded him as the world blurred and swam before his eyes. Staring at the face in the mirror he could hardly recognize as his own anymore. Slowly on autopilot he began to rinse the blood from his face. A picture of the boy flashed through his mind…what would happen if he failed…what had happen because he had been so utterly week. As he started to wash all traces of the Russian's torture from his body he desperately wished he could cleanse the stains from his soul, erase the scars from his mind, and re-forge the shattered pieces of his heart…"_

"_He wasn't even able to hold his head up high anymore. Every thing he'd ever valued about himself had been destroyed. His values, his pride, the fierce fire that used to burn within him so bright that he didn't need a guiding light…didn't need anymore else to light the darkness for him…or so he'd thought. Because now he was trapped lost in the darkness he'd once found comforting. Lonely in the solitude that he used to consider his sanctuary, not even able to hold onto the faint shreds of anger that'd kept him going for so long…sure they'd kept him going through Delko forcing him away, through Horatio letting him go, but now he found himself unable to take the finally steps leaving the only life he'd ever wanted behind…"_

"_Suddenly a cheerfull, familiar voice came cutting through his darkness…with a new life to lead…or an old life to go back to whichever way you prefer to view it. His own personal brand of light"_

He might now be tactful….or good at playing other people's game…

But damn it, this was his game!

And he was going to win.

With a finally snarl he felt a familiar warmth coursing through his limbs, holding on to the feral feeling and instincts he felt his body expand and change, bursting out of his own skin as he shifted. When his four feet finally hit the floor, Samuel flying backward his arms ripped to shreds from the force of his change, he let out a strangled howl in wolf…

"NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"

He was not a failure…not anymore he'd found the light and he refused to let anyone throw him back into his own personal living hell!!


	12. Chapter 12

"You little Bastard" Samuel snarled his face contorting into a mask of rage. His arms hung limp at his sides. Blood flowed freely down the destroyed limbs like a crimson waterfall. "I'm going to rip your heart out of your chest, I'm going to…"

"Try it," came Ryan's snarled response in wolf, a series of snarls and growls in place of words, teeth bared, ears flattened back against his head. Green orbs flashed with anger. A completely different shade than when they had set in a human skull. Lips parted revealing razor sharp fangs as another string of growls came forth "You think you can? Or are you gonna play more mind games. Oh, and if I see you within 100 feet of her I am gonna rip YOU apart. Limb by limb and if you think I can't….you better think twice. That's if I don't it right now."

"I know I can!" Samuel yelled launching himself foreword as he transformed. The met with a sound like thunder rolling over and over again trying to land on top and in control, the other werewolves kept their distance knowing that the death match was not to be interfered with.

Eric couldn't believe his eyes. He was crazy. That had to be it! He was crazy. Now if only that was a comforting thought. He started to edge closer to the doors hoping maybe, just maybe he could escape. The woman, Ella was to busy focusing on the fight. He glanced back over to the fight the smaller wolf, the one that had once been Wolfe…Ryan, was managing to hold the bigger "Samuel" wolf off but it was obvious that even though the "Samuel" wolf was injured the "Ryan" wolf was still at a disadvantage because of its size.

That wasn't his problem though a couple more steps and he could slip away and do what? Leave Wolfe here to die? No…that…that A.J. guy. The kid he might know what to do. He'd get back to the lab and find the kid…Where was the kid? If he was Wolfe's partner of trainee or whatever shouldn't he be here?

"Where the hell do you think you're going" came the outraged yell as Ella began to sprint toward him terror engulfed him as he tried to scramble backward…

But it was no use

She was going to catch him

This was the end.

The suddenly a silver sports car crashed though the flimsy door slamming into her knocking her off her feet and up onto the roof of the car. A shot rang out as the occupant of the vehicle put a bullet through the roof of the car and into her head killing her.

A.J. causally climbed out of the car mumbling something along the lines of "sorry I'm late, I was lost" before bringing his rifle up and firing two shots sending silver bullets flying through the air.

Xavier went down with a bullet in between his eyes.

Mr. Machine Gun suffered the same fate.

A.J. had been training to be a SWAT sharpshooter before he'd been recruited to SU2. He was the youngest trained sniper ever and he could put his skills to good use. Firing off shots in rapid succession and never missing his target.

Pumping the weapon to bring another bullet into the chamber he brought it up and braced it against his shoulder following Samuel's movement carefully with his eyes. He squeezed the trigger.

Samuel saw it coming. He bit down on Ryan's front leg and used his greater weight to swing the smaller wolf into the bullets path.

Ryan went down with a bullet in his lower back. He tumbled through the air shrinking as he reverted back to his original form before slamming into the ground. Cursing A.J. ran over to his side neither noticing the brown streak that sprinted toward Delko until the man himself let out a terrified scream as he was lifted off the ground between giant teeth.

Samuel took his catch and ran out the doors sprinting toward the highway his injured limbs slowing him down.

"Go after him" Ryan bellowed one hand putting pressure on his wound the other gesturing franticly for A.J. to follow the escaping criminal.

A.J. shot him a worried glance before straightening and running after the fleeing Werewolf and his hostage…

**TBC**

**A/N: sorry this took so long to update. I've been busy with school. Please Review constructive criticism appreciated (and needed) Oh and I'm not completely happy with this chapter I think it might be a bit confusing, but it anyone's confused please just ask me and I'll try to explain it.**

**Thank you**

**~Ryanfan14**


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